The Indictment

     The title of today's blog and this passage are so very timely. Perhaps when you read "indictment" you were hoping for the daily headline? Treacherous, Treasonous, Lying, Lech Indicted. We can only wish and pray. Fervently. The interesting thing about today's passage is that it has been dragged out quite a bit lately. Here it comes up in the normal, routine, un-orchestrated schedule in the Liturgy of the Hours. 

      When a supposed man of God and his minions smugly quote holy Scripture in justification of an immigration scheme that separates babies and children from their parents, how is it possible that such learned and supposed faithful individuals miss this gem in Matthew? This passage spells out the letter and spirit of the law to which the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue does not raise muster.

       I have often said it would be rather easy ( as fundamentalists often find ) to simply follow the Ten Commandments and feel smug, cozy and arrogant about it.  What became a real challenge for us was to obey those Ten in light of Jesus' Two Great Commandments.

Love is great arbiter of Scripture and it mirrors the love God has for all of us. I guess that's the thing, God loves us all equally and we would be mindful to always remember that in our actions. To do any less is a strong indictment of our faith ( or lack thereof ).

Matthew 25:31-46

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’