Christ the King
Around three months ago, my wife and I bought our first house. We were so excited to have purchased one of the biggest investments of our lives. As we moved in, we started renovations and fixed up the place to make it our own. Taking our personalities into consideration, we decided to get some plants to help bring the beauty of the outdoors into our home.
At first, I thought: “I just want to furnish our house with some tropical plants to remind us of our love for nature.” So, we got two to start – a Golden Pothos and a Swiss Cheese Plant. We brought the plants in and started to scope out some places where they will stay in our home. The plants really added life to our house and it brought me so much joy to see them there. I started collecting more and more and before I knew it, I had thirteen different plants. It amazed me just how different they all were. Each one so unique, perfectly reflecting God’s beauty through their patterns and colors. One thing I learned was that new plants should be separated from the old ones to protect them from potential pests that may have hitched a ride on the new ones. Plants look amazing when grouped together, especially with all their different features combined. But since I had to “quarantine” new plants (sorry, too soon to use that word?) and carefully observe them before grouping them together, I realized that this wasn’t immediately possible. This careful observation reminded me of how Jesus taught His disciples about the final judgement.
In this week’s Gospel, we hear about how we will all be separated from each other based on how we treated our brothers and sisters here on Earth. Some of us will be subjected to eternal separation from God, while others will be given eternal life. It’s not the most pleasant thought to imagine ourselves suffering punishment for eternity, but these readings are exactly what we need to hear to be reminded of what we’re called to do: To love our neighbors as ourselves and to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength. Our time here on Earth, though it might seem long, pales in comparison to what God has in store for us in Heaven.
So how do we get there? The answer can be found in the last two verses of St. Matthew’s Gospel for us this week. Jesus tells us that whatever we do for our neighbors who are in need, we also do for Him. Whether it’s something small, like smiling at a stranger, or something as big as volunteering for a mission trip, God sees everything that we do. He is calling us to action. To share our time, talents and treasure with those who are less fortunate. We are called to fulfill our roles in doing spiritual and corporal acts of mercy – To pray for those who need it, clothe the naked, feed the hungry and so much more! It might seem intimidating at first, but I encourage you to do it one small step at a time. Like Mother Teresa said: “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
I didn’t plan to be a “plant dad”. But much like the famous saying goes, “When man plans, God laughs.” Let’s strive to serve those who are in need, even if it wasn’t part of our original plants.
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