Monday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 224
Reading 1
Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
“You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the LORD.
“You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the LORD.
“You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake.
I am the LORD.
“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.”
Responsorial Psalm
19:8, 9, 10, 15
R. (John 6:63b) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Verse Before the Gospel
2 Corinthians 6:2b
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Least Deserving
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.” Matthew 25:31–32
What an image to ponder! Try to imagine this scene. At one definitive moment in the future, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, now also in human form as the “Son of Man,” will return to earth in glory surrounded by all the angels of Heaven and will sit upon His new and glorious throne. In front of that throne, every person of every nation ever to exist will be gathered together, and each person will be judged according to their deeds. Those who served our Lord and treated the least of His brothers and sisters with mercy and compassion will hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Those who did not serve Christ and did not treat the least ones with mercy will be sent off to eternal punishment as Jesus says to them, “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” On that day, only one thing will matter, because eternity will be determined with permanence. All that will matter is whether you will be placed on our Lord’s right so as to inherit eternal life, or on His left and sent into the eternal fires.
Sometimes, as we journey through life, we can lose sight of this glorious day. When we think of God and Heaven, it is easy to fall into the presumption that Heaven is guaranteed to us. God is kind and merciful, and He loves us. Therefore, we presume that Heaven is for certain and only the most horrible people will end in hell. But this is not how Jesus depicts the Day of Judgment.
Jesus explains that at the time of judgment, the righteous will be astonished by the fact that caring for those who are hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill, or imprisoned was the same as showing love for God. Likewise, those who neglected the same people will be astonished that they failed to love God by failing to love the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Do not take this teaching lightly. Jesus does not mince His words. He is abundantly clear and definitive.
In your life, who are these “least ones” of which Jesus is speaking? The hungry and thirsty are not only those with physical needs but also those who have spiritual longings that need to be satisfied. They are those lost or confused in life who need to be given direction. The stranger might be anyone who is lonely and easily ignored. The naked might be those who cannot manage to care for their needs. The ill could be those who are elderly or suffering in various ways. And the imprisoned could include those bound by sin who need help to be set free. Do not fail to seek out our Lord as He is present in those all around you.
Reflect, today, upon those in your life who seem most lost and most in need of your compassion. Those to whom we do not feel like reaching out are those who most often need our compassion and mercy. The “least ones” are often those we judge, condemn or ignore. Call to mind the person who seems least deserving of your love and know that Jesus is living within them, waiting for you to love Him by loving them.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THE SHAKES
“Then He will separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.” —Matthew 25:32
Will you have “the shakes” on Judgment Day? Will you have butterflies in your stomach? Will you have sweaty palms? Will you feel nervous? Jesus will come, riding on the clouds in great glory — the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rv 19:16). He will come escorted by all the angels, perhaps numbering in the billions (Mt 25:31). All the nations will assemble before Him (Mt 25:32). You will be microscopic on this cosmic Judgment Day.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rm 3:23). Very few of us have served the least of the brethren (Mt 25:40). Many of us have never visited a prisoner or given more than a token offering to the starving. Even the sick we’ve visited have been relatives and friends and not the least of the brethren. “The sum of [our] deeds is less than complete in” God’s sight (Rv 3:2). Yet “we should have confidence on the day of judgment” (1 Jn 4:17).When we meet Jesus as Judge, we must already have met Him as Savior.
Prayer: Jesus, Judge, may my personal relationship with You give me confidence to cooperate with Your grace and grow in holiness.
Promise: “Nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord.” —Lv 19:16
Praise: The Warren family reads the Scriptures together every day.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Today’s gospel message is a wake-up call because we are surrounded by people who are in need of basic material and emotional support. Yet we neither see nor feel as our hearts have become hardened to the sight of the pathetic conditions of people that we witness each day. Jesus reminds us in no uncertain terms that there is no place for us in the kingdom of God if we demonstrate indifference and insensitivity to the needs of others. The only criterion for admission to the kingdom of God is charity towards those in need. In every needy person we meet Christ, and when we reach out to them with help, we reach out to Christ. In the same way, when we deny help to a needy person, we are denying it to Christ. Lord Jesus, turn my heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
Prayers
Most merciful Lord, Your compassion is great and Your judgment is real. Help me to always keep my mind upon that final and glorious day on which You will return in all Your splendor and glory to judge the living and the dead. May I truly heed Your words and prepare for that day by loving You in all people, especially in those most in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my life. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think, act, and speak with charity and good will for all.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 50: Hearing the Voice of God
It’s true that, throughout your day, God is speaking to you. He is constantly communicating His truth and His direction for your life, and He is constantly bestowing His Mercy. The problem is that His voice is ever so gentle and silent. Why? Because He wants all of your attention. He will not attempt to compete with the many distractions of your day. He will not impose Himself upon you. Rather, He waits for you to turn to Him, to set aside all distractions, and to be attentive to His quiet but clear voice (See Diary #130).
Do you hear God speak? Are you attentive to His gentle interior promptings? Do you let the many distractions of your day drown out God’s voice or do you habitually set those aside, diligently seeking Him all the more? Seek His interior promptings this day. Know that these promptings are signs of His unfathomable love for you. And know, that through them, God is seeking your full attention.
Lord, I love You and desire to seek You in all things. Help me to be aware of the ways in which You speak to me day and night. Help me to be attentive to Your voice and to be led by Your gentle hand. I give myself to You completely my Lord. I love You and wish to know You more fully. Jesus, I trust in You.
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