King for the little ones
Closin g our liturgical calendar is the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ as the King of the Universe. He is proclaimed as our irreplaceable Savior-king because He established the reign of God in the world, even as we pray that we be able to live by His Gospel and so be welcomed to the eternal joy of his kingdom ( Matthew 25:31-46).
At the end of time
IN His coming at the end of time, the Son of Man will solemnly intervene for the closure of human history. Coming in glory with all the angels, he takes his throne to judge all nations. As the king of the universe, he will give to those blessed by His Father the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. For this kingdom He came to preach and to call all to repentance. He taught the people in words and deeds that the kingdom has been prepared for the poor and the little ones to whom God will do justice ( Matthew 5:12). These blessed ones are those who actually live according to their faith, and not those who merely say “Lord, Lord.”
The judgment scene in the gospel is at the summit of Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Those judged worthy to share in the eternal joy of communion with God and so to enter the kingdom of heaven are those who have been merciful to others. These are those who accept that the first commandment of the love of God cannot be separated from the second commandment of the love of neighbor. Thus, for God’s adopted children inheriting the kingdom will be on the basis of what they have done or not done for those who are needy: the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, prisoners, elderly, abandoned, etc.
To them is to me
The perplexity of people confronted with the facts of what they have done or failed to do for others in this life hinges on the surprising clarification that they have done so or not to our Lord Jesus Christ himself. When did they see him hungry and did not feed him? And the King will say, “You did to me” what you have done to your fellow human beings, and “You did not do for me” what you neglected to do for others. Jesus identifies himself with the little ones and the poor who are in need of help and compassion. What we do to them and for them is the decisive factor in the divine judgment at the end.
Many will say on that day, “Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not perform mighty deeds in your name?” And they will be told, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers” ( Matthew 7:21-23). So, the centrality of love and works of mercy will be most glaring at the final judgment. “For it is mercy I desire, not sacrifice” ( Hosea 6:6, quoted in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7). Our Savior is the Shepherd-king of His people, concerned with the frailest of His flock. God is full of mercy and compassion, and it is our task and privilege to be patterned after this divine image. “For He shall rescue the poor man when He cries out, and the afflicted when He has no one to help Him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor, the lives of the poor He shall save” ( Psalm 72:12-13).
Alálaong bagá, as the Son shares the love of the Father, we His people are called to share his concerns and ways. That is why he recognizes those who act like him and are animated with the same charity: His kapuso at kadiwa (one in heart and soul with Him). Our identifying features must be our works of love and mercy; that is what our King takes into account in dealing with us at the gate to eternity. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” ( Matthew 5:7). God who offers us His mercy and compassion in and through Jesus, wants us also to show mercy to one another. It would be fatal if said to any of us: “I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” ( Matthew 18:32-33). As St. Augustine pointed out, we shall enter heaven not because we have not sinned, but because our deeds of mercy have expiated for our sins.
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