Sunday, November 26, 2017
Christ the King
1st Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17
2nd Reading: 1st Corinthians 15:20-26,28
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his Glory. All the nations will be brought before him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“The King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.’
“Then the good people will ask him: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food (…)? The King will answer, ‘Truly, I say to you: whenever you did this to these little ones who are my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go, cursed people, out of my sight into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat, (…). “And these will go into eternal punishment, but the just to eternal life.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s Gospel reading rolls out the leakage to the entrance exam for heaven. All questions pertain to how one uses material wealth to help the needy because under divine standards charity is the measure of a good life. Jesus himself had advised his listeners to use earthly wealth to gain friends. He also instituted love as the highest commandment. Unfortunately, charity is hard to practice. But if we bear in mind that God takes personally what we do to our fellowmen, sharing our hard-earned money won’t be as painful.
Jesus said, “Whatsoever you do to the least of your brothers you do unto me.”
This statement has two parts. When we stop at the first (“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers”), a little dole out seems enough. But when we move to the second (“…you do unto me”), we realize we really have to give more until the least of our brothers are raised to the dignity of the divine.
The same could be said of the Love Commandment. When we stop at the mandate to love one another it seems that mutuality suffices. But when we look at the measure, “as I have loved you”, we move from dole out to total self-giving because the measure is just too overwhelming. This is the height of detachment, and charity becomes second nature to us. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.