Daily Readings - Mon Feb 19 2018

First Reading - Leviticus 19.1-2, 11-18

¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying²Speak to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy¹¹You shall not steal. You shall not lie. Neither shall anyone deceive his neighbor¹²You shall not commit perjury in my name, nor shall you pollute the name of your God. I am the Lord¹³You shall not slander your neighbor, nor shall you oppress him by violence. The wages of a hired hand, you shall not delay with you until tomorrow¹⁴You shall not speak evil of the deaf, nor shall you place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear the Lord your God, for I am the Lord¹⁵You shall not do what is unjust, nor shall you judge unjustly. You shall not consider the reputation of the poor, nor shall you honor the countenance of the powerful. Judge your neighbor justly¹⁶You shall not be a detractor, nor a whisperer, among the people. You shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor. I am the Lord¹⁷You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but reprove him openly, lest you have sin over him¹⁸Do not seek revenge, neither should you be mindful of the injury of your fellow citizens. You shall love your friend as yourself. I am the Lord

Gospel - Matthew 25.31-46

Matthew

Chapter 25

³¹But when the Son of man will have arrived in his majesty, and all the Angels with him, then he will sit upon the seat of his majesty³²And all the nations shall be gathered together before him. And he shall separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats³³And he shall station the sheep, indeed, on his right, but the goats on his left³⁴Then the King shall say to those who will be on his right: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father. Possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world³⁵For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in³⁶naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.³⁷Then the just will answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when have we see you hungry, and fed you; thirsty, and given you drink³⁸And when have we seen you a stranger, and taken you in? Or naked, and covered you³⁹Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit to you?⁴⁰And in response, the King shall say to them, ‘Amen I say to you, whenever you did this for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it for me.⁴¹Then he shall also say, to those who will be on his left: ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels⁴²For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink⁴³I was a stranger and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not cover me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.⁴⁴Then they will also answer him, 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?⁴⁵Then he shall respond to them by saying: ‘Amen I say to you, whenever you did not do it to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.⁴⁶And these shall go into eternal punishment, but the just shall go into eternal life.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on how we live out our faith in everyday life. In the first reading from Leviticus, we are reminded of the call to holiness and the practical ways this is expressed: not stealing, lying, or oppressing others, but instead treating all people justly and with compassion. This passage emphasizes that holiness is not just a spiritual state but is lived out in concrete actions toward others. In the Gospel, Jesus paints a vivid picture of the final judgment, where the criterion for eternal life is how we have treated the most vulnerable among us—the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. Those who served these "least ones" are welcomed into eternal life, while those who ignored them are separated from God. Both readings are connected by the theme of living out our faith through love and justice. Leviticus provides the moral foundation for how we should treat others, while Matthew’s Gospel reveals the ultimate consequences of living according to that foundation. Jesus makes it clear that our relationship with God is inseparable from our relationship with others, especially those in need. The way we treat the poor, the stranger, and the marginalized is the way we treat Christ himself. This connection challenges us to see God in every person we encounter and to act with the same love and mercy that God has shown us. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How do I treat those around me? Do I see Christ in the faces of those who are suffering or overlooked? The moral lesson here is clear: our faith is not just about words or beliefs but about the concrete actions we take to love and serve others. May we strive to live with compassion, integrity, and justice, knowing that our actions have eternal significance. Let us remember that holiness is not an abstract ideal but a way of life that flows from a deep love for God and for our neighbor.