THE LAST JUDGMENT

Matthew 25: 31-46

When the Son of man will come in his glory with all his angels, he will take his seat on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate men from one another, just as the shepherd sorts out the sheep from the goats. he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those he will have placed on his right: "Come, you whom my Father has blessed. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For indeed I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to me."

Fr. John O'Mahony

And we extend the hand of compassion and love to the sick and to all who suffer in any way, not in the hope of any reward, but because this is where we meet Christ. It is here that we serve him. That should be reward enough for us.

Fr. H\John O'Mahony, SVD
THE WORD 2008

In other words

Pagkukulang is doing nothing with the talents entrusted by the king who went on a journey. It is the charge Jesus lays against those who, unlike the Samaritan, avoided the man fallen among robbers. It is solidarity withheld from the poor man at the gates of our lavish celebrations and lifestyles. None of us can ever claim full acquittal from its accusation at the end for Jesus will take personally every failing in love for our neighbor, his brother.

Put differently, if Jesus is Everyman who is in need, then He is the neighbor who is our savior or our judge. In ways never anticipated, our salvation or condemnation is in our neighbor's hands.

Diony Miranda, SVD
THE WORD
in other words
Bible Diary 2008

Whatsoever You Do ...

You face God and accounts to Him the good you were able to do and the good you failed to do. We cannot blame others for the acts we committed and omitted.

Socrates Villegas
JESUS IN MY HEART
Homilies and Prayers at the EDSA Shrine

MT 25

Jesus doesn't hold it against nonbelievers and non-Christians if through no fault of their own they lack explicit faith in him. They're judged on the basis of the light they have received in this life and on their works of mercy and justice. Their light may be no more illuminating than their conscience, energized by good will. Jesus asks basically as much of them as of anyone, namely good works performed for the benefit of the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, prisoners - in a word, for the poor and needy. The traditional corporal and spiritual works of mercy rate high in his judgment.

They are the decisive factor, pro and con, in the final judgment of humankind, bearing more heavily on what is left undone. The sins he takes principally into account are the sins of omission - our failure to serve the poor in the world who represent him, and he in turn decides against all who neglect them (cf. Dt 15:9)

Joseph Fichtner, OSC
Many Things in Parables
Reflections for Life

THE LAST JUDGMENT

"The criteria of the Last Judgment are interesting. Indirectly they tell us what "sort" of God is the God whose name Jesus pronounces Judgment.

Now we note with surprise that God is pretty indifferent concerning whatever men will have done to him personally. He condemns no one for what we could call crimes of lese majesty: blasphemies, profanations, neglect of religious duties, ignorance of his prerogatives, acts of superstition, magic, idolatry, etc. On the other hand, he shows himself supremely interested in whatever men will have done to the weakest of them, those he calls his brothers."

Nil Guillemette, SJ
PARABLES for TODAY
Exegis-Reflections

Fr. Domie Guzman

Divine Charity is to help and serve with the vision of the other not just as a needy person. Divine Charity is to help and serve the other whom we see as God-among-us.

Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP
New Every Morning
New Everyday

SHEPHERD-KING

Jesus will ask us if we showed care and concern for the hungry, the thirsty and the naked. They are the least of our brothers and sisters who have been deprived of the basic needs of food, drink, and clothing, the poorest of the poor in our midst.

Most Rev. Mylo Hubert Vergara, DD, MA, STD
A SHEPHERD'S VOICE

Fr. Nil Guillemette

Jesus enlists all his followers in his war against suffering. He identifies with the sufferer and expects our love for him to react accordingly.

Fr. Nil Guillemette
KINDLINGS

Fr. Yoyo Rebucias

Indeed, it is too difficult to welcome, clothe, feed, visit, give a drink to a person when he/she doesn't pass your taste or standard. But for the sake of Christ, you've got to do it. People tend to be ungrateful but this should not discourage a Christian from showing his/her concern and love. This is the beauty of Christianity. The face of Christ in others moves us to serve the less fortunate, the unlovable, and those undeserving of our help. The face of Christ inspires us even to trust those who are not trustworthy. Only in this manner that we never get tired of doing good to the other.

Fr. Yoyo Rebucias, SVD
THE WORD 2007

SURPRISES

The first will be that Jesus will not gave particular attention to what we would consider shining moments in human history. Rather, the focus will be on what seems to be ordinary deeds for most of us: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, attending to the sick, visiting the inmate, welcoming strangers.

Fr. Bobby Titco
Sabbath 2008

Fr. Joel Jason

Jesus is now inviting us to a higher level of obedience. He wants that the thing that we follow and do be deeply rooted in love.

Fr. Joel Jason
Sabbath 2009
Scripture Meditation for Daily Life

Fr. Emmanuel Menguito

There are a million of ways by which you and I could serve the least of our brothers and sisters as the gospel for today demands. We just have to open our eyes and ears to see and hear the needs of those who are less fortunate! The traditional seven coporal works of mercyare actions we must do in order for us to be called blessed by the Father.

Fr. Emmanuel Menguito, SVD
THE WORD
in other words
2009 Bible Diary