The Gospel we heard over the weekend (Matthew 25, 31-46) reminded us that Christ the King is coming in glory to judge us, based on how we have shared our love and blessings with others through genuine acts of charity in our lives. And yet, Jesus is present to us here and now, not only as our King and Good Shepherd (leading, feeding, and healing His sheep), but also as He dwells in those for whom we care.
When we respond to the call to love our neighbors, how often do we actually dip into our pockets and give to others what we were thinking of spending on we do not really need? Do we casually give away what we will not miss in the slightest? Do we see that there is a difference between “giving alms” and sharing our goods and good fortune with those who have less, a lot less, than we have?
Homework for this week: to pray for (and be ready to adopt) the kind of trust, the kind of generosity, and the ability to share with complete freedom – freedom from material “wants” and freedom for others. St. Francis de Sales said, “The richest person is not the one who has accumulated the most, but the one who has the fewest needs.”
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Cristo se entregó a sí mismo para otorgar a nosotros y toda la familia humana reconciliación y felicidad. Los creyentes habríamos de aprender de Él a darnos a nosotros mismos sin contar el costo.
En la vida diaria, podemos dar muchas cosas, como los ricos “que echaban sus donativos en el arca del Tesoro” (Lucas 21, 1), pero nada de eso tendrá valor si solamente damos “de lo que nos sobra,” sin amor y sin espíritu de generosidad, sin ofrecernos a nosotros mismos.
Según san Agustín: “Es más tener a Dios en el alma que oro en el arca.”
