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In the Angelus, the Pope recalls the page of the Gospel on the final judgment that, he says, “it will be about love, not about feeling”: we will be “judged by works, by compassion that becomes closeness and solidarity help” .
Debora Donnini – Vatican City
The Lord will judge us for the love given or denied to others. In today’s Angelus, at the end of a morning marked by Mass for the passing of the WYD Cross, the Pope energetically exhorts us to question our hearts to get out of ourselves and become aware of those who need help. An invitation addressed on the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the universe, which closes the liturgical year. “He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of history; and today’s liturgy focuses on the ‘omega’, that is, on the final goal, “explains the Pope.” The sense of history “, in fact, can be grasped taking into account that” the end is also the end. “(Listen to the report with the voice of the Pope)
Eventually we will be judged for love
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Matthew reports Jesus’ discourse on universal judgment at the end of his earthly life. And the Pope emphasizes “the Christian paradox”: He who is “the Lord of history”, “the King of the universe”, “the Judge of all”, “does not have a terrible royalty, but a shepherd full of meekness and mercy “. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus identifies himself not only with the shepherd king, but also with the lost sheep. “We could speak of a double identity: the shepherd king, and also Jesus and the sheep: that is, he identifies with the smallest and most needy brothers,” says the Pope.
And this is how the judgment criterion indicates: it will be taken based on the concrete love given or denied to these people, because he himself, the judge, is present in each of them. He is the judge. He is God, man, but he is also the poor, he is hidden, he is present in the person of the poor that he mentions there. Jesus says: “Truly I tell you: everything you did (or did not do) to one of these least of my brothers, you did (or not) to me.” We will be judged for love. The judgment will be on love. Not by feeling, no: we will be judged by works, by compassion that becomes closeness and solidarity help.
The logic of indifference does not prevail
The central question that the Pope asks himself today is: “I draw near to Jesus present in the person of the sick, the poor, those who suffer, the prisoners, those who hunger and thirst for justice, I draw near to Jesus”. present there? “At the end of the world, in fact, the Lord will review his flock,” not only on the side of the shepherd, but also on the side of the sheep, with whom he identified, “the Pope remarks:
“Have you been a pastor of me who was present in these needy people, or were you indifferent?” Brothers and sisters, let us beware of the logic of indifference, of what comes immediately to mind. Look the other way when we see a problem.
God himself cares for the flock
Therefore, the Pope urges to follow another logic, drawing inspiration from the Good Samaritan. A logic that indicates to Jesus himself:
“What you did to this, to this, to this, you did to me. And what you didn’t do to this, to this, to this, you didn’t do to me, because I was there. ” May Jesus teach us this logic, this logic of proximity, of approaching Him, with love, in the person of the most suffering.
Jesus, in this parable of the final judgment, therefore, uses the image of the shepherd, referring to the prophet Ezekiel, who had spoken of God’s intervention in favor of the people, against the bad shepherds of Israel, those who “were cruel States and exploiters, preferring to feed themselves rather than the flock. ”That is why“ God himself promises to personally take care of his flock, defending it from injustice and abuse, ”explains the Pope, noting that this promise was fully fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd .
Queen in service
It is Mary, who faithfully followed her Son on the path of love, whom we must ask “to teach ourselves to reign in service”, learning precisely from her to “enter the Kingdom of God from now on, through the door of humble service. and generous “.
