Monday of the First Week of Lent
(Leviticus 18:1-2.11-18; Matthew 25:31-46)
The Lord in the first reading tells His people that they must be holy. He means that they are to preserve themselves from moral corruption. They are to be honest and just in their dealings. They are to respect everyone, especially the disabled. The Lord sums up what holiness entails in the command to love others as oneself.
In the gospel Jesus presents more specific requisites. The holy ones, designated for the Kingdom of God, feed the hungry. They take care of the sick and visit the imprisoned. Although they may not realize it, they serve Jesus himself in lessening the burden of the oppressed.
We may say that we do not want to be considered holy. We may even try to convince ourselves that we want to be like everyone else. But deep down, we know that it is not true. We want to be good and loving. We want to walk in the company of the Lord Jesus. This is the same as saying that we want to experience the joy of eternal life.
