Jesus gave us a preview of Judgment Day. We will be judged by our faith and love for Him as we have expressed it in loving service to "the least of the brethren." This fact can be taken as a burden. Now we have to take care of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned (see Mt 25:35-36). However, we should not feel burdened by the poor and the needy, but instead feel privileged to serve them.
As Christians, we live lives of love in response to the Lord's love on Calvary. We love with all our hearts God, Who is Love (1 Jn 4:16). Our goal in life is to show our love for God as frequently as possible. We tell God we love Him several times a day. We do everything for love of Him and give Him many gifts and sacrifices each day. We wish we could think of other ways to show our love for Him. Jesus fulfills our wish. He surrounds us with poor and needy people. Then He says that whatever we do to "the least of the brethren," we do for Him. If it weren't for the poor, we would be frustrated in finding more ways to love Jesus. Now, we can show love for Jesus in thousands of ways.
In love, we thank Jesus for the poor. How precious they are! They give us the opportunity to feed, clothe, visit, and love Jesus all day, every day. We owe such a debt of gratitude to the poor.
| PRAYER: | Father, beginning this Lent, may I receive Your heart of love for the poor. |
| PROMISE: | "You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake." –Lv 19:16 |
| PRAISE: | Tara, a mother of eight, frequently takes her children to a local, inner-city mission to help serve the needs of the poor. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College