Sheep or Goat?
Reflection for St. Vincent de Paul Meeting, February 15, 2016
Dcn. Bob Bonomi
Today’s Gospel passage from Matthew (chapter 25:31-46) about the sheep and the goats should be disturbing to Christians, for it makes it clear that not everyone will make it to heaven. In the Church today, I think we sometimes become complacent and presume that since God is a merciful god, He will not allow anyone to go to hell. But while it is true that God is a god of infinite mercy, Jesus points out that we must look beyond ourselves in order to accept His mercy, for without it we cannot find our way to heaven. In effect, those who fail to see those in need or who refuse to show mercy to them, and who insist on looking only to themselves and their own wants, reject God’s mercy and condemn themselves.
Interestingly, Jesus also points out that it is Christ himself who is present in those around us that guides us, even if we don’t even realize that it is Christ that we see. In the cases of both the “sheep” and the “goats”, the people ask “when did we see YOU in need?” Neither group seems to realize that Christ is present in every single person that we encounter and our actions, more than our words, reflects our acknowledgment of that holiness. That is what is important to our salvation.
As Vincentians, we strive to recognize Christ in our clients. We may not always “see” Christ in the people we serve, but by our actions we unconsciously acknowledge His presence in them. He is there, and when we serve them with love we fulfill the command that God gave the Israelites (and to us) as seen in our first reading today from Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Our goal in serving others is not just to make life a little better for them. As Vincentians, our primary goal must be to seek our own holiness, for God has commanded us to “be holy, for I, the Lord, am holy.” And while we are given many commandments on how to reach holiness, they all ultimately can be summed up by loving God and loving our neighbor. May we continue to see Christ in those we serve – and love.
Today’s Gospel passage from Matthew (chapter 25:31-46) about the sheep and the goats should be disturbing to Christians, for it makes it clear that not everyone will make it to heaven. In the Church today, I think we sometimes become complacent and presume that since God is a merciful god, He will not allow anyone to go to hell. But while it is true that God is a god of infinite mercy, Jesus points out that we must look beyond ourselves in order to accept His mercy, for without it we cannot find our way to heaven. In effect, those who fail to see those in need or who refuse to show mercy to them, and who insist on looking only to themselves and their own wants, reject God’s mercy and condemn themselves.
Interestingly, Jesus also points out that it is Christ himself who is present in those around us that guides us, even if we don’t even realize that it is Christ that we see. In the cases of both the “sheep” and the “goats”, the people ask “when did we see YOU in need?” Neither group seems to realize that Christ is present in every single person that we encounter and our actions, more than our words, reflects our acknowledgment of that holiness. That is what is important to our salvation.
As Vincentians, we strive to recognize Christ in our clients. We may not always “see” Christ in the people we serve, but by our actions we unconsciously acknowledge His presence in them. He is there, and when we serve them with love we fulfill the command that God gave the Israelites (and to us) as seen in our first reading today from Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Our goal in serving others is not just to make life a little better for them. As Vincentians, our primary goal must be to seek our own holiness, for God has commanded us to “be holy, for I, the Lord, am holy.” And while we are given many commandments on how to reach holiness, they all ultimately can be summed up by loving God and loving our neighbor. May we continue to see Christ in those we serve – and love.
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