For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me into your home.
I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to see me.’
Then the righteous will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and give you food; thirsty, and give you something to drink;
or a stranger, and welcome you; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and go to see you?’
The king will answer, ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Go, cursed people, out of my sight, into the eternal fire,
which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry, and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty,
and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked, and you did not clothe me;
I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.’
They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked or a stranger, sick or in prison,
and did not help you?’ The king will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did not do it for one of the least of these,
you did not do it for me.’ And these will go into eternal punishment; but the just, to eternal life.”

REFLECTION:
"Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me.”
The Son of God, identifies himself with the poor and the least. If we want to take this passage seriously,
we should see with new eyes every poor person we meet on our journey. Often we care very much if a member of our family is unemployed,
sick, or in prison. But we don’t do as much when we read in the papers or listen to the news of the terrible sufferings that afflict so many people.
Yet Jesus calls them, “brothers and sisters of mine”.
Jesus identifies with and dies for every man or woman. The disturbing passage of today’s gospel reminds us
that we will ultimately be judged by our abi­lity to recognize the Lord’s face in the poor and weak.
The gospel is clear: we shall all be judged by the quality of our love.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2020