Sunday, December 22, 2024
Theme: “Welcoming the Lord Jesus Christ”
Text: Matthew 25:35-46
35. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; 36. I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. 37. The righteous will answer him, Lord, when saw we you hungry, and fed you? or thirsty, and gave you something to drink? 38. When saw we you a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you? 39. When saw we you sick, or in prison, and came to you? 40. And the King will answer them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me. 41. Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42. For I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 43. I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. 44. They will also answer, Lord, when saw we you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you? 45. And he will answer them: Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it not for one of the least of these, you did it not for me. 46. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Let us remember:
Those who have welcomed Jesus into their lives do things selflessly. They have no hidden agenda. They give without thinking or counting. They love without hypocrisy. They have an excessive hope. They are hospitable and do not delve into the past of the person they are hosting. They place love of neighbor at the center of all their relationships and interactions. They do not even remember all their charitable actions since for them, this is how the Christian life is organized. Those who have welcomed Jesus into their lives see Jesus behind all creatures. They are kind and grateful. They cannot bear to see a person in need as long as they have no solution to offer; they lose peace until they find a lasting solution. They are compassionate and do not like to be joyful while others are unhappy. They have a compassion characterized by the refusal of contentment and injustice. They like to intercede, pray for others while ignoring their own prayer subjects. Selfishness does not cross their mind. On the contrary, those who refuse to welcome the Lord Jesus are proud, wicked, greedy for money, selfish, envious, without faith and without God. They love life and covet everything that passes before their eyes. They think they love God but live like pagans. They are torn between God and the world. Let us not be of this last category at the risk of inheriting eternal hell. Excellent Sunday. Amen
Alain Louz.-
Comments