At the end of lifewe will not be judged
by how many diplomas we have received
how much money we have made,
how many great things we have done.
We will be judged
by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat,
I was naked and you clothed me,
I was homeless and you took me in.'
Hungry not only for bread
---but hungry for love.
Naked not only for clothing
---but naked for human dignity and respect,
Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks
---but homeless because of rejection.
Mother Teresa
These are the words that an article in the Kyeongyang magazine written by a university professor wants us to reflect on and asks how many points we would give ourselves. What we do in life, if it doesn't leave the world a better place what good is it? Is life only in search of my needs, but what meaning does that have? To the very last what is important is to share our love, care, understanding, and dignity with others, and especially to find those on the edges to embrace them. This would decrease the wretchedness in the world.
When not sharing love, caring for values and human dignity we will not be living, but life will be like death.
Today is Holy Thursday; we meditate on the love that we have received from Jesus. The washing of the feet of the disciples is a sign of what this love should mean. Love is not receiving but giving, not possessing but sharing, it is the wanting the good of the other even if if it means sacrifice on the one loving.
We who live the liturgical life of the Church and attend Mass frequently should have a deep understanding of what the central message of the liturgy is. God has shown us his love and we live in gratitude for all that we have received. Jesus has become our food and we become the food for others.
In the liturgy of the hours yesterday we heard the words of St. Augustine: " If we are to give true meaning to our celebrations of their memorials, (the blessed martyrs) to our approaching the Lord's table in the very banquet at which they were fed, we must, like them, provide the same kind of meal."
