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).