Daily Readings - Mon Mar 07 2022
Leviticus
1The LORD said to Moses,2"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.11"'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another.12"'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.13"'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. "'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.14"'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.15"'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.16"'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.17"'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.18"'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Matthew
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
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.