Mr. and Ms. Good Deeds

“ Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those people throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread, and by our understanding, give them peace and joy. “  – Mother Teresa 

First Reading: Ezekiel. 34:11-12, 15-17

For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were  scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (but the sleek and the strong I will destroy), shepherding them rightly. As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

Resp. Psalm: Psalms 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

Second Reading: 1Cor. 15:20-26, 26-28

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will (also) be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

" 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:

By Beth R. Eguia

The last Sunday of the Ordinary Time commemorates the Solemnity of Christ the King.  This reminds us to live a righteous life everyday for we never know the time and the hour He will call us. At the end of time, the sheep and the goats will be separated, with the sheep at the right and the goats at the left. And God will account for the good deeds the sheep have done while the goats will be thrown over to hell.

The same thing applies for us, doing a good deed whether big or small should come as a natural way of living. It does not have to be known by others for God sees every small detail we are doing each day. What constitutes a good deed? It should be done for others without expecting anything in return. To an employee, it could be praying for his not so good boss and continue serving him well. To a taxi driver, returning the exact exchange of taxi fare to his passengers. To a street vendor, selling items at the right price and using a correct weighing scale. To a student, studying hard and not cheating on exams, or helping his parents at home in doing household chores without asking anything in return.

There are a lot of good things in us. We just have to learn to use them well and ask the Holy Spirit to empower us. Most of the times, the environment and the people can influence the way we live. So it is important that we are rooted to the source of goodness and truth and that is God. How do we do that? Through constant prayer, we should ask for this grace to live a righteous life for we cannot do it alone. We need God’s mighty hand to battle the evil around us so that when we see Him face to face, we are all prepared to meet Him. And He will say to us “Welcome Mr./Ms. Good Deeds. I have been expecting you.”

Prayer:

Dear Lord, as we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, may we always be reminded of Your great love for us and to do good for others. Grant us the grace to live our lives in a  righteous way each day. Amen.