Sunday, March 6, 2005 (Tone 7)
Sunday of Meatfare and of the Day of Judgment
Kellia: Genesis 18:16-33 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2 Gospel: St. Matthew 25:31-46
St. Matthew 25:31-46, especially vss. 37-39: "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,
'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take
You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?" It is a blessed day of
discovery, a day of dread recognition, when one looks within and admits, "I am starving, emaciated, mad with thirst,
naked, unclothed, shame-ridden, spiritually sick, and imprisoned."
The Lord teaches all who come to Him about this blessed state of destitution (Mt. 5:3-12), so that like Mary of Egypt,
one's soul learns the pain of alienation from Life but is unable to return to the world. All is empty for the "poor in spirit."
They can only cry, "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, the sinner." In that instant, the blessed discover
the hand of the Lover of Mankind. They inch toward Him, and He points toward the perilous, narrow trail of repentance.
He steadies with His gracious hand. He gives the Bread of Life, slakes the parching thirst. He becomes clothing, healing,
and freedom - the true Friend Who embraces.
Imagine what the pitiful poor-in-spirit will do if he meets a fellow sufferer along the way. Naturally, he will share whatever
he has. His heart, now stained indelibly with love, gives simply because there is a need. He does not calculate, but simply
responds. As he cannot turn back from his true Friend, so, likewise, he can only continue steadily toward others, always
remembering to feed and to forgive. Yes, he will share whatever he has.
We have the wonderful example of this in the Roman soldier, Martin. He served in the army solely because his father
wished it, but Martin was blessed to discover Christian faith. He became a catechumen. One winter day, while on duty, as
he came into a city, he was stopped by a beggar: "Would he give alms?" Martin had no money. He did see that the beggar
was blue with cold and shivering. He took off the cloak of his uniform, cut it in half with his saber, gave one part to the
beggar, and went on into the city. We know that blessed soldier as Saint Martin, Bishop of Tours. Blessed Theophylact
bids us look at the disposition of such saints: "...they deny, with befitting modesty, that they have cared for Him." Why?
Very simply - they do not calculate. They are preoccupied with gratitude, delight, and joy in the Lord.
Yesterday, we considered the Lord's "great glory" when He comes again upon the Cloud of Divine Majesty. An
inescapable element of that glory will be the final judgment of all mankind. What will the Lord look for in each of us? He
will look for gratitude, delight, and love. He will not review our giving to charity, nor our work in prison ministry, nor our
struggle to relieve world hunger. It is dangerous to take assurance from any efforts we have invested in such activities. St.
Paul warns us about this sort of thinking: "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body
to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). In today's passage the Lord Jesus sets forward His
basis for judgment: are His light and His love planted and flowering in our hearts? Do we calculate, or do we love?
St. John of Kronstadt teaches that "The purer the heart becomes, the larger it becomes; consequently it is able to find room
for more and more loved ones." How easy it is to forget the poor, the neglected, the homeless, the destitute, the old, the
sick, and the brokenhearted. Were the Lord not to heal our hearts, there would be no ability at all in us to love. God help
us!
I have no life, no light, no joy or wisdom; no strength except in Thee, O God. Enable me at all times to speak and act to
Thy glory, with a pure spirit, with humility, patience, love, gentleness, peace, courage, and wisdom.