Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (A)

November 26, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17

Psalm 23

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28

Gospel reading according to Matthew (25: 31-46)

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Homily: The Last Judgement

In today’s gospel, Matthew describes the end time (or eschatology) and what will happen to all peoples who showed good and bad things to their neighbors (the little and least ones) when the judgment time arrives.

Jesus as our Savior and King and at the same time as our little and least brother, said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him” (Mt. 25: 31-32).   Jesus, when he comes back and sits at his judgment chair, all peoples of the world from north to south, west to east; brown, red, white, black, yellow, orange, with different races, costumes, cultures, traditions, languages, religions, etc., come into his presence.  “And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (Mt 25: 32-33).  All the peoples will be separated from one another despite of their colors, races, cultures, languages, religions, etc. and gather into two places one to the left and other to the right. In each group, nothing can distinguish from one to the other.  In each group, all are one and all are the same in everything.  There are lots of similarities.

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who ate blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food.  I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill and in prison, and visit you?  And the king will say to them in reply. ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25: 34-40).  “Then he will say too those on hi left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food.  I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did no  care for me, in prison and you visited me.’  Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’  He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me’” (Mt. 25: 41-45).  We will be judged by what we do or not do to our least brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.  For any small or big things we do to the poorest among the poor, we do it for Jesus.

Not of what we have accomplished, gained, triumphed, achieved, and acquired and successes in life nor the money and wealth we have, the position, the power and authority we relished can save us, for it cannot bring us to heaven by our own personal doing for ourselves.  All of these are nothing as compare to the things, big and small, we have done to the least and poorest of our brothers and sisters who are in need.  The food we share to the needy, a glass of cold water to quench the dry throat of a beggar we give, migrants we welcome in our country and home, naked and we give them our extra clothes we do not use but occupy our cabinet, ill and aged parents and grandparents and neighbors we care, prisoners and victims of extra-judicial killing and war on drugs we comfort and accompany to achieve justice, and many other charitable works we can do and share.

In the end time, we will be judged for what we do or do not do to the least brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ.  “And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Mt. 25: 46).  

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

November 19, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – Proverb 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-3

Psalm 128

Second Reading – 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6

Gospel reading according to Matthew (25: 14-30)

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Homily: Each one received talents

Each one of us entrusted and received talents/abilities from the Lord God, despite of our unworthiness; as we are just ordinary servants.  But the question is how do we use the talents/abilities we received? 

We can find the answer in the gospel of Matthew.  Jesus said a parable to his disciples about “a man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.  To one he gave five talents, to another, two; to a third one – to each according to his ability” (Mt. 23:: 14-15).   

God knows first our abilities.  He does not give us something that we cannot do or wok out.  Also, God gives us all the freedom on what to do with the talents entrusted to us.  So He gave us something easy to perform and we are capable to make, and according to our own will.  It is up to us what to do with the talents/abilities entrusted to us.

As the story goes, the man “then went away.  Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.  Likewise, the one who received two made another two.  But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money” (Mt. 25; 16-18).  We can compare ourselves to these three servants.  We knew our responsibilities we received; otherwise we did not understand what God wanted us to do.  See what the first two servants did, they invested to trade their master’s money and they gained 100% percent, for they used their talents and abilities entrusted to them.  They were not afraid to invest their master’s property whether it will gain profit or lost, what is important they followed their master’s demands. While the third servant, for he knew his master’s attitude and because of fear to commit mistakes, he hid his master’s property to the ground and wait till his master’s return without doing anything.  Are we like the first two servants who used their talents = knowledge, wisdom, physical strength, abilities and capabilities, etc.? Or are we like the third servant who was lazy, full of fear and anxieties, though not lacking of ability? 

“After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.  The one who received five talents came forward bringing additional five.  He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.  See, I have made five more.  His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Since you are faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.  Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt. 25: 19-21).  The same with the second servant.  “Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.  He it is back.’  His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!  So you knew I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?”  (Mt. 25: 24-27).  Take good care of the talents entrusted to you and use them wisely so that when the time comes of the day of reckoning and judgment you are ready to summit your report to Him who gave you your talents.  Or else something might take place which you won’t like to happen to you as what had happened to that third servant in the parable, “Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten” (Mt. 25: 28).  The only talent he has was taken away from him.  And the most painful event is when the Master judges us: “Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where the will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (Mt. 25: 30)

The core of the message of the gospel according to Matthew is that, “For to everyone who has, the more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Mt. 25: 29).