HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT. (2)

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT.

THEME: I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me.

BY: Fr. Deotatious Chikontwe SMA.

*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18
Psalm 18:8-10,15
Matthew 25:31-46

*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
PURPLE

*FROM OUR FIRST READING*
Leviticus declares the deepest law of humanity to be to our common, shared status as children of God. “Love your neighbour as yourself” is a bedrock principle. Unless this divine law is faithfully followed, then at the judgment Jesus can do nothing else but say: “I do not know you!” The final judgment simply ratifies how we have responded to the basic laws of human nature; and here we find the sublime guidance: “As often as you did it for one of my least brothers and sisters, you did it for me.” Jesus too is bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh.

*FROM OUR GOSPEL READING*
Today’s Gospel gives us a casual picture of what will happen on the Day of Judgment. But I wonder why this gospel passage is placed at the beginning of Lenten season. I’m sure this is because the Church wants to offer us a positive stimulus to personal conversion and amendment. The Church reminds us too that the Lord Himself will certainly return as a Supreme Judge and this is not a remote possibility. We will be judged individually based fundamentally on the standard of real love in the form of works of mercy. That is, the “sheep” will inherit eternal life because they respond to real needs before them while the “goats” will inherit damnation because they fail to respond to those same needs.

*CONCLUSION*
This Lent, all of us are called to deepen our relationship with God and come closer to Him. All of us should spend more time in prayer and in contemplation, discerning carefully what we should and what we can do for our less fortunate brethren all around us.
The Lord be with You!

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