I was hungry

Christ the King Matthew 25, 31-46 Last year, if I were to preach on this Gospel on this feast I would have preached a very different homily. I didn’t know you very well so I would have talked about how we need to be a parish that feeds the poor, clothes the naked, visits the sick. Last year I would have challenged you to live out this gospel. This year I know you better. We still need to be challenged by the Gospel but we are struggling to live this gospel. Yesterday 601 cars came through our parking lot. Yesterday 601 families were fed by your generosity. Everything that happened here yesterday was because of you. The food that was brought, the money that was given, the over 100 turkeys that were dropped off when the emergency call when out, the families that were fed, it was all because of the generosity of you, the parishioners of St. Mary’s. No I don’t need to tell you to live out the gospel, what I want to tell you this year is why you live out the Gospel It is good to feed the hungry, it is important to give people who are thirsty something to drink. We should welcome the stranger, and give clothes to the naked. Our ministry to the sick is commendable and obviously it is good to visit those in prison. But that isn’t what Jesus is saying in the Gospel today. Jesus doesn’t say, “you gave 601 families something to eat.” No, he says, “you gave me something to eat.” The 601 cars that drove through our parking lot yesterday, were driven by Christ. The families that were fed, were Jesus’ family. We fed the hungry not just because it is a good thing to do, we fed the hungry because we see Jesus in the hungry. We find Jesus in the sick, the thirsty and those who are in need. We come together to recieve the Eucharist. We recieve Christ’s body and blood in this mass. We don’t know how but we believe we know that it is Jesus whom we recieve. In the same way it is Jesus that we serve. If we see Jesus in the bread and wine we can also see him in the hungry and poor. If we don’t see him in the poor I don’t know if we can see him the Eucharist. Hippolytus was the pastor of our Church in Rome in the first century after Jesus died. I don’t know what was the context but we have the sermon that he preached on this gospel nearly 2000 years ago. As Pastor of St. Mary’s here in Whittier I share his words with you my flock: Come, you lovers of poor people and strangers. Come, you who fostered my love, for I am love. Come, you who shared peace, for I am peace. “Come, my Father’s blessed ones, inherit the kingdom prepared for you” who did not make an idol of wealth, who gave alms to the poor, help to orphans and widows, drink to the thirsty, and food to the hungry. Come, you who welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, visited the sick, comforted prisoners, and assisted the blind. Come, you who kept the seal of faith unbroken, who were swift to assemble in the churches, who listened to my Scriptures, longed for my words, observed my law day and night, and like good soldiers shared in my suffering because you wanted to please me, your heavenly King. “Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Look, my kingdom is ready, paradise stands open, my immortality is displayed in all its beauty. Come now, all of you, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” For I was hungry and you gave me to eat.