Bible reading: February 23rd : First Reading Only pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice A Reading from the Book of Leviticus 19: 1-2,11-18 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. “You shall not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbour: I am the Lord. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbour, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.” The Word of the Lord. February 23rd : Responsorial Psalm Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 (R. see John 6:63c) Response : Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life. The law of the Lord is perfect; it revives the soul. The decrees of the Lord are steadfast; they give wisdom to the simple. R.: Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life. The precepts of the Lord are right; they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear; it gives light to the eyes. R.: Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life. The fear of the Lord is pure, abiding forever. The judgments of the Lord are true; they are, all of them, just. R.: Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life. May the spoken words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart, win favour in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer! R.: Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life. Verse before the Gospel V. Glory and praise to you, O Christ. R. Glory and praise to you, O Christ. V. Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. R. Glory and praise to you, O Christ. February 23rd : Gospel I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Matthew 25: 31-46 At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who 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 drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, 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 no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The Gospel of the Lord. ____________ Today's Gospel Reflection: Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31–32 Throughout history, rulers have vied for power, and countless wars have been fought over ambitions for political control. Even in modern democracies, there is constant strife over who should lead. Yet, in the end, there will be only one King Who will sit upon His glorious throne forever. Today’s Gospel reminds us that although civil governance plays an important role in our earthly lives, we must never lose sight of the One Eternal King. When Jesus returns in all His glory, accompanied by the entire Celestial Hierarchy of Heaven, all justice and righteousness will be fully established. Each of us will appear before Him as Judge. At that moment, and for eternity, only one thing will matter: How did I live while on earth? Too often, the temptation to live as though this life is an end in itself dominates us. When faced with injustice, we may respond with anger. When our preferred political party is not in power, we can become disillusioned, considering it a tragedy. Many are seduced into believing that accumulating more material goods leads to greater happiness, and poverty or simplicity is undesirable, a sign of failure. Yet, in the end, one thing alone will matter and one thing alone will endure—charity. In the passage above, Jesus uses the image of a shepherd separating sheep from goats. This familiar image to the people of His time depicts the end of the age. During the day, a shepherd often allowed sheep and goats to graze together, just as God permits all people—the righteous and the unrighteous—to live in this world together. But at night, the shepherd would separate the sheep from the goats. Sheep, being more docile, obedient, and faithful, represent those who live according to God’s will. Goats, often more unruly and independent, symbolize those who live selfishly. The contrast is striking. Faith, hope, and charity are not abstract ideas; they are supernatural virtues that win for us a place in the eternal Kingdom of God. Self-centered living, worldly ambitions, and unruly passions extinguish these virtues, leading to God’s judgment and condemnation at the end of time. Knowing these truths should instill vigilance and hope in us. Vigilance will help us remain faithful members of God’s true Kingdom, living out charity toward God and others. Hope will inspire us to live with an eternal perspective. Worldly ambitions will pass with this life. But if our hope is set on the eternal Kingdom, it will lead us to holiness and a deeper union with God. Reflect today on the eternal promises our Lord makes to us. At the end of time, He will separate the sheep from the goats. We must never forget that while God is perfectly merciful, He is also perfectly just. If His mercy is not embraced through repentance and conversion, His justice must be satisfied in the end. But if His mercy is embraced, it perfectly fulfills justice, and we will live with Him as our King and Shepherd forever. My merciful and just King, at the end of time, You will return with all Your angels to judge the living and the dead, establishing Your eternal Kingdom. I pray that I will be counted among Your sheep. Please grant me the grace of humility and repentance so that I may grow in love for You and in charity toward all. Jesus, I trust in You #Bible reading