Reflection for February 23 Monday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 25:31-46

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'  

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'  

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'  

Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

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Reflection:

Is Jesus already in our hearts right now?

If our answer is yes, then our lives must reflect His presence. If He truly dwells within us, we cannot remain the same. We are called to be compassionate, to be humble, and to have a heart that beats for the poor and the forgotten.

These virtues are not optional for us—they reveal that Jesus lives in us. For He was always compassionate, always humble, and never judgmental. His love embraced the sinner, lifted the broken, and restored the lost.

Christ’s Kingdom is not only a future promise—it is already here and now. It begins in our hearts. It grows in our minds. It becomes visible through our actions. Whenever we choose to love as He loves, we allow His Kingdom to take root within us.

His Kingdom becomes real when we feed those who are hungry and give drink to those who thirst. It becomes visible when we welcome the stranger, when we open not only our doors but also our hearts.

It shines forth when we care for the sick, when we visit those who are imprisoned not only by iron bars but also by loneliness, fear, and despair. And it becomes most powerful when we forgive—when we release the wounds inflicted upon us and choose mercy over resentment.

Each act of love, no matter how small, proclaims that Jesus is our King. Each act of mercy declares that His Kingdom reigns within us. When we live this way, we do not merely speak about Christ—we make Him present in our world.

So we ask ourselves once more: Is Jesus truly reigning in our lives?  

If He is, can others see His compassion in our words, His humility in our actions, and His mercy in our forgiveness?

Will we allow His Kingdom to shine through us so that others may encounter Him in us? —Marino J. Dasmarinas