First Reading - Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18
Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46
In the first reading from Leviticus, God speaks clearly: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. This call to holiness is not followed by complicated rituals, but by simple, practical commands. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not exploit. Do not hate your brother in your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself. Holiness, according to God, is lived in relationships. It is honesty in business, fairness in judgment, kindness instead of revenge, and love instead of resentment.
The heart of the passage is striking: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. This command is not optional. It flows directly from who God is. Because God is holy and God is love, those who belong to him must reflect that love in daily life.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this teaching even further. He describes the final judgment in powerful and unforgettable imagery. The Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats. The standard of judgment is not wealth, status, or even religious activity, but love expressed in action. I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
What is most striking is that those being judged are surprised. When did we see you hungry or thirsty? Jesus identifies himself completely with the least: Whatever you did to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did to me. In this revelation, holiness and love reach their deepest meaning. To love the needy is to love Christ himself. To ignore them is to ignore him.
Dear friends, today's readings challenge us in a very direct way. Holiness is not abstract. It is not confined to church walls. It is measured in compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and attention to those who suffer. Every day, Christ comes to us disguised — in the poor, the lonely, the difficult person, the one who needs patience or understanding.
This is both sobering and hopeful. Sobering, because we cannot separate our love for God from our love for others. Hopeful, because every small act of kindness has eternal value. A meal shared, a word of encouragement, a listening ear — these are not small in the eyes of God.
Today we are invited to examine our lives. Do we see Christ in others? Do we allow resentment, indifference, or selfishness to block love? The path to holiness is not far away. It is right before us, in the people we encounter each day.
If we take seriously the call to love our neighbor, we are already walking toward the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world. In loving others, we meet Christ. And in meeting Christ, we discover the true meaning of holiness.
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