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Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46
Jesus 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.
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.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are 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 and say,
‘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 or 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.’
Then he will say to those on his 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 not care for 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.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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During a visit to the United States, Mother Teresa went to a nursing home run by religious sisters. It had nearly every creaturely comfort one could ask for – healthy food, comfy beds, air conditioning, heating, television, and nurses readily available.
Yet, looking around, Mother Teresa noticed that not one of the residents was smiling.
Surprised, she turned to one of the sisters, asking, “Why are these people not smiling? I’m so used to seeing people smile, even the poor who are dying in our homes in Calcutta – they smile.”
The nun responded, “This is the way it is nearly every day. They are expecting, they are hoping, that a son or daughter or grandchild will come to visit them. But they never do. They hurt because they are forgotten.”
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This is the greatest form of poverty, Mother Teresa said: Feeling unwanted. Unloved.
Forgotten.
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Lent is a time for us to become increasingly aware of Christ present in others – especially the sick, the less fortunate, the forgotten.
I’m inspired by our parishioners who routinely visit the nursing home located less than a mile from our parish. They bring communion to our brothers and sisters, listen to their stories, and pray with them week after week. They encounter Christ in some who otherwise may feel forgotten.
What about us? How do we go out of our way to encounter Christ – not just in the elderly, but also in veterans, the sick, the imprisoned, young adults, teens, or children?
“Whatever you did – or did not do – for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine,” Christ will say at the end of our lives, “you did – or did not do – for me.”
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Image credits: (1) TV Guide (2) Nursing Home Abuse Justice (3) QGiv