March 7, Monday, 1st Week of Lent
Sts. Perpetua & Felicity, martyrs
Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46.
The readings tell us to be kind and caring to weak and needy people in society. God is concerned about the poor and less favored of the world. God wanted to identify with them: "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me" (Matthew 25: 45). That is why we must not forget that God goes out to meet us in each brother who requires our help, our company, our good treatment, in short, our love.
Let us ask ourselves, then, who are the most disadvantaged, weak, and needy in the environment in which we live. It only takes walking attentively through life with our eyes and hearts open to discovering them. We can find them anywhere, even in our own homes. We cannot be indifferent to the pain and suffering around us. Because every human being who suffers is our brother, and they are the disguised face of God, hidden in every person we meet. When these people receive our goodness and compassion, they will feel loved and accept how much more our Father in heaven is delighted by those who show kindness and practical love to those in need.
“At the twilight of life, we will be judged by love,” said St. John of the Cross, and this love must be in action, for following Jesus requires consistency between the proclamation of our faith and the practice of justice, since the peace of God is a fruit of justice and mercy. We are challenged to feel the call to love each day. In this way, we will be genuinely called disciples of Christ, and thus we can have the assurance of salvation.
As in the final judgment, there will be a great sorting, and they will pronounce a great judgment based on how we pasture our brothers and sisters. Above all, the ability to feel the pain of our brothers and sisters and to resent the injustice they suffer is required so that we may be able to live in solidarity and share the resources we have, for it is in sharing that God happens.
Do I engage in corporal works of mercy regularly?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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