Today marks the end of the liturgical year as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. The readings continue the theme from last week, that of accountability. In both the first reading and the psalm we hear about how God will tend to His people: seeking out the lost, healing the sick and injured, and preparing a great banquet for them in the sight of their enemies.
In the Gospel passage Jesus tells us that He is, in fact, the Good Shepard; we need look no further. However, there is a flip side to both the first reading and the Gospel, and it is the same message we heard last week. There will be an accounting. Jesus makes it clear what His criteria will be: did we care for those less fortunate than ourselves? Did we feed the hungry? Did we clothe the naked? Did we comfort the sick, welcome the stranger, visit those imprisoned? Or were we more concerned about our own well-being, placing our needs and wants ahead of others? These are the things that matter to Jesus, and as our Lord they should matter to us also…not because we can buy our way to heaven by doing them, but because by doing these things we show our love for Jesus by doing as he commands.
So, the real question becomes, did we love Jesus enough to be His hands and feet during our lives? If an examination of our self-conscience suggests we’re not doing as good a job of loving as we should be, then this is a good time to both acknowledge that fact and begin to work on improving. Our Good Shepard is always ready to help!