Today we celebrate The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. This great feast marks the end of our liturgical year and the completion of our journey with Jesus and His disciples through the Gospel of Matthew. And what a finale St. Matthew gives us! We end with a dramatic story, The Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46). Here St. Matthew presents Jesus, sitting on his glorious throne, surrounded by angels with all the nations of the world “assembled before him.” Then, like a shepherd who takes his flock to the market, he separates the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the accursed, those who will enjoy eternal life from those who will suffer eternal punishment.
What is so astounding about this passage is the criteria Jesus uses for his judgment. The nations of the world, and all of us, are not judged by our great accomplishments, our victories, our scientific exploits, our wealth, our diplomas, our popularity or our social status. We are judged by our compassion, our mercy, our love, our humility, the dignity and respect we show others and our hospitality. Once again, Jesus shakes us out of our complacency and reminds us that the standards and values of the Kingdom of Heaven are not the same as those of our world.
There is another lesson here that may be our greatest challenge. Jesus considers anything we do to or for others as being done to him, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” One of Mother Theresa’s famous quotations is, "Christ is hidden under the suffering appearance of anyone who is hungry, naked, homeless, or dying." Christ is present in each one of us. He is hidden only if we choose not to see him.
Almighty and merciful God,
you break the power of evil and make all things new
in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe.
May all in heaven and earth
acclaim your glory
and never cease to praise you.
We ask this though our Lord Jesus Christ, your son
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
Amen.
