Daily Readings - Mon Mar 07 2022
Leviticus
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.11Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.13Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.14Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.15Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.16Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.17Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.18Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Matthew
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Sermon
The readings today remind us of the profound connection between holiness and how we treat others. In the first reading from Leviticus, God calls the Israelites to be holy, not by some abstract standard, but through concrete actions of justice, compassion, and love for their neighbors. The text forbids stealing, lying, and oppressing others, emphasizing that true holiness is lived out in everyday interactions. It challenges us to see God in the face of the poor, the marginalized, and even our enemies, calling us to judge justly and love without condition.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this idea a step further, revealing that our ultimate judgment will be based on how we treat the most vulnerable among us. The parable of the sheep and goats makes it clear that Christ identifies himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. When we serve these "least ones," we serve Christ himself. Conversely, when we ignore or neglect them, we neglect Christ. This passage is not about earning salvation through good works but about recognizing that our faith is made visible in our love and care for others.
These readings invite us to reflect on our daily lives. How do we encounter Christ in the people we meet? Do we see him in the coworker who needs a kind word, the neighbor who needs help, or the stranger who needs a smile? Holiness is not about grand gestures but about the small, consistent acts of love and compassion we show to others. As we go about our day, let us remember that every person we meet is an opportunity to encounter and serve Christ. May we strive to live in such a way that we not only honor God’s command to be holy but also make his love and mercy tangible in the world.