“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”
Perhaps many of you are computer savvy and often check your Facebook, Instagram, and other social media on your iPads, iPhones, etc. Lately, I have noticed that there seems to be a plethora of people stopping ‘in their tracks’ so to speak, to help an animal that is caught in a trap, lost, or thrown out in the streets and highways, as the latest news had a blurb about leaving dogs stranded at airports becoming a big problem.
However, Facebook showed every time, some kind-hearted person would take the animal – mostly a dog – and gently loosen it from the wired web or rope, clean it off as best he could, and give him sustenance, then take it home or to the veterinarian.
I was always amazed at the gentleness of the person rescuing the poor, helpless animal, and yes, it brought tears to my eyes. If this merciful and kind act is done to an animal, it should definitely be given to every hurting person we can help.
In today’s Gospel, we are reminded by St. Matthew on this Feast of Christ the King that Christ, like a shepherd, will come to separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep He calls ‘blessed’ and the goats he calls ‘cursed.’ The question for us is: Which one am I?
Some may say ‘goat’ as, in the worldly sense, the acronym means G for greatest, O for of, A for all, and T for time. But in our spiritual world, we should seek to be on the side of the sheep. How do we accomplish this? The Gospel tells us to perform acts of loving kindness: the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. We will be judged on these acts of mercy and kindness and ask our Lord God, King and Shepherd: “When did you see me feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger... and the King will say: “When you did this to the least - man, woman, or animal - of my brethren – you did it to me. Come, blessed, enter my Kingdom…”
As Advent soon begins, it is a truly blessed time to examine ourselves at which side we are at this point in our lives: sheep or goat!
Sister Celeste Hupert, CSFN
