Final judgment

WORD ALIVE

Tomorrow is the feast of Christ the King. When Jesus was crucified, a wooden sign (caratola) was nailed over his head with the inscription INRI, which in Latin means “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum”; in English, “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.”
 

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Is Christ really a king? Standing before Pilate, Christ did not deny that he was indeed a king. But then he said, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (Jn 18,36). Jesus’ reply means he was not the kind of king Pilate imagined: a military, political ruler, but rather a spiritual ruler. It is a spiritual kingdom that depends on faith, prayer, and good works.
 

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In this Sunday’s gospel, the figure that’s presented is a king who will judge us. He will decide on that final day who will or will not share his kingdom forever. It’s a dreadful scene but for those who are faithful to Jesus' teachings, it will be a day of glory.
 

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If you read carefully the parable of the Last Judgment (Mt. 25, 31-46), you will notice that our judgment will not depend on whether you are a genius, a Miss Universe, the wealthiest man according to Forbes magazine.

Obviously, these are important but the Lord is saying that these should be put at the service of the “least, last, and lost” of society. Hence, the question that will be asked is: How much have you done or not done for them?
 

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The late Mother Teresa now a saint was deeply moved by Jesus’ Parable of the Last Judgment that she left behind her work in a school devoting her whole life among the poorest of the poor, thus earning the title “the Saint of the Gutters.” She said, “I want to go to Heaven that’s why I follow Jesus’ teaching  of caring and devoting my life for the poor.”
 

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Of course, not all of us can emulate the difficult work of the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta. But we must always have her spirit and disposition of charity which impels us to do works of mercy.

There are Catholics who believe, sincerely or otherwise, that as long as they go to church on Sunday, receive Holy Communion, and avoid evil, they are good Christians. But as St. James the apostle puts it: “Faith without works is dead.”
 

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Doing good could mean providing one’s helpers and workers security for their old age (SSS), sick leave or housing benefits. What’s very sad is that there are numerous people who are not benefited because they are unemployed! In these times of economic difficulties,  the Lord expects us  to  reach out to the poor, especially in this Christmas season.
 

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A man was worried, saying, “What scares me most is when God says to Mother Teresa on judgment day, ‘Teresa, you should have done more good works.’
And there I am – right behind her!’”
 

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The feast of Christ the King is both a reminder and a challenge – a reminder of the Lord’s second coming and final judgment and also a challenge to do more for the least of Christ’s brethren.”
 

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Story of the Gambler. Once there was a chronic gambler who said: “I would do anything, even the devil’s work, to see the lotto winning numbers ahead of the draw.  I would become the richest man in the world.”

Well, he got his wish. A messenger came to his door and handed him a newspaper dated one week ahead. Excited, the man turned to the page where the winning numbers were listed. There before his eyes were all the numbers that would entitle him to win multi-million pesos.
 

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He was beside himself imagining what he would do with all the huge amount. But as he turned the pages, his heart skipped a beat. For there he saw his name printed in big, bold prints – in the obituary! On the day he wins, he will also die.
 

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Jesus understands our craving for material security or for wealth but he wishes us that we put that yearning in proper perspective.

“Lay up treasures in heaven where neither rust nor moth can consume.” Are we making provisions for the next life? In the Final Judgment, will we be rewarded by  the good deeds we’ve done for the least of Christ’s brethren?
 

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Support Seminarians. Talking about good deeds, let’s help our seminarians who are financially hard-up. Donate any amount or sponsor a seminarian's schooling good for one school year. For inquiry, e-mail me at: belsvd@gmail.com