Jesus makes it clear that what we do or do not do for others is a significant determining factor for our future.

 
Reading: He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Matthew 25:45.
 
Good morning, Happy Monday, and many blessings my dear family.
 
In today’s Gospel (Matthew: 25:31-46) Jesus is talking with his disciples about the future: the time when the “Son of Man will come in glory.” He is telling them that everyone on earth will be gathered together, and He will separate the peoples, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep will have a privileged place on his right hand and the goats will be on his left.

To the sheep, Jesus will affirm their care and concern for the poor, the lost and all those in need. These individuals were compassionate, they fed the hungry, quenched the thirst of the thirsty, clothed the naked and helped others in a multitude of physical and spiritual ways. However, the people listening to Jesus were confused. They knew that they had not “clothed” Jesus, nor had they quenched his thirst. What was he talking about? However, as we know, Jesus is instructing them that whatever goodness and kindness they do for the people around them, they also do for Him.

The “goats” then begin to complain (or make excuses) to Jesus. They tell him that they had not had the opportunity to serve Him in this way. Jesus bluntly tells them that they were not concerned with the people who were in need. They did not clothe them nor feed them nor minister to them. They simply ignored them!

Jesus makes it clear that what we do or do not do for others is a significant determining factor for our future. In a real sense, we are the ones who make the choice about our future. We have the power to choose to help others or to ignore them and their needs.

If we choose to help others, hopefully it is not simply because we want to be with Jesus in heaven. Hopefully our desire to help others flows from our concern for them and perhaps also our gratitude for the times when someone else helped us. Hopefully, we desire to pass on this blessing to others!

As we go through our day today, may we be attentive to the times when another could use a helping hand. Or perhaps we can simply spend time with someone who is lonely or down. There are people in need all around us! The question is: will we see them and reach out to them? Who knows? Someone may reach out to us today and bless us!
 
The things we are asked to do are so simple: give food and drink to ‘Jesus’ in those who are hungry and thirsty; to clothe ‘Jesus’ in those who are naked; to visit ‘Jesus’ in those who are sick and in jail. Whether we realize it or not, every time we spontaneously take care of a brother or sister in need it is Jesus himself, we are serving. The questions are: Where are the hungry, the naked, the homeless who would call on me if they could reach me? Or have I so organized my life that the needy never impinge on me? Jesus, you have made this the sole criterion of judgment. How will I measure up?

Blessings,
 
Luis+