27th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 10-12-23, Year A
Readings: 1st Reading Mal 3:13-20b; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Gospel Lk 11:5-13
Theme: Are You God Centered or Self Centered
I do not want to be a goat! In Matthew’s Gospel 25:31-45 Jesus explains the judgment of the nations, or, in other words, the judgment of each one of us.
In his analogy using sheep and goats, Jesus explains that in the end, the good (sheep) will be separated from the evil (goats), and judgment passed on to the two groups.
The sheep spent their time listening, learning, and acting on God’s word and commandments, while the goats spent their time on themselves, not giving God’s word or commandments much, if any, of their time. In the end, the goats will be judged harshly and there will be no do-overs. For Jesus said,
“And these (goats) will go off to eternal punishment
but the righteous (sheep) to eternal life.
It is one thing to say that you believe in God or that you trust in Jesus as a savior, but it is an entirely different thing to put that belief into action. The old saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” is so true in this case. The devil is sly, and he finds ways for us to procrastinate and put off faith and good works in God’s name in order to satisfy our own needs. How many times have we put off to tomorrow what we should be doing today?
Malachi’s reading today is a framework for Jesus’ statement in Matthew’s Gospel of the sheep and the goats. Both define a distinct separation between those who are evildoers (goats) and those who fear the Lord (sheep). Again, the judgment of those who did not give the time of day to God and His Word will be harsh as Malachi says,
“For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all the evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the Lord of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.”
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus goes even further with the sentiment that good people (sheep) are persistent in their prayers, in their actions, and in their trust in Him. They know how to ask for good things (having a sincere and loving prayer life) that inspires and leads to grace. They know how to seek the goodness of the Lord (by reading scripture, attending Mass, following the Church). They know how to open doors (by helping others) that lead to holiness. The bad people (goats) do very little if, any, of these things.
Make no mistake about this, judgment is coming to us all. Memorize these two Latin words, “Memento Mori”, i.e., remember (your) death. If your life is not centered on God first and foremost, then the time is now to rectify this. If you think you are already in a good position because of the good works you are already doing then good for you, but, I would challenge you to take a deeper look and see if your good works are being done for your own self-worth or for God.
Do not take for granted that good works are enough to save your soul, it takes good faith as well (Jas 2:14-26). That faith must be centered firmly in the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. If not, you have some work to do.
A life well lived, that leads to eternal life, starts first with a deep faith, trust, and commitment to God Himself. From there all good things come.
I pray that when the day comes for Jesus to judge us all, that you and I are found dwelling with the sheep on the right and not the goats on the left!
May God bless you with a fervent love for Him and your neighbor.
Saint James Catholic Church 