Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Gerry del Pinado SVD – Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City
Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, November 2
A tombstone in a cemetery reads: “Take heed, my friend, as you pass by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you soon will be. Prepare for death and follow me.”
As we honor our beloved dead, we are also invited to reflect on our common destiny and to prepare for its eventuality. How do we prepare? We may not be able to determine the length of our earthly life, but we can have a hand in its width and depth. Indeed, the Gospel reminds us to“stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).
Today’s Gospel gives us the dimensions of that width and depth. At the final judgment, our lives will be measured by how we have responded to people in need: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-36). Jesus identifies himself with them:“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
The depth and width of our lives, therefore, will be measured by our willingness to enter into the stories of the less fortunate and to leave within them signs of hope and redemption. As Scripture reminds us, our love should be expressed not merely in words but also in our response to those in need (cf. 1 John 3:17-18).
At the Last Judgment, God will have the final say. Yet a spiritual teacher once imagined that each person who comes before the judgment seat might be asked:“Whom did you bring along?” rather than simply, “How many Masses did you attend?” or “How many rosaries did you recite?” The image suggests that we will stand before God carrying with us the story of how we have treated others.
Let us therefore make sure that, when our time comes, we bring with us a company of witnesses who can testify to our love rather than to our indifference. For in serving the least of our brothers and sisters, we discover that it was Christ himself whom we served (Matthew 25:40).
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