Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 10 March ‘25
First Week of Lent – Monday
Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18. Psalm 19. Matthew 25:31-46
The Keys to the Kingdom
Today’s Gospel reading presents us with the Final Judgment—a passage that fascinated, amazed, and even frightened me as a child.
Imagine the scene: All people, from the beginning of time until now, gathered together in one place. A single decision, separating them into two groups. A King who speaks to all at once, delivering the ultimate verdict. How incredible it must be to see loved ones after so many years, reunited in the presence of the Son of Man, the King, the Judge!
This passage reveals a profound truth: To stand at the right hand of the Son of Man, Jesus does not list great qualifications:
He does not require theological knowledge,
He does not demand strict adherence to all commandments,
He does not insist on a high education, a great career, or material wealth.
The Way into the Kingdom Is Simple
The only requirement for entering the Kingdom is choosing small ways to serve others—
to become small among the small.
The King Identifies himself with the Small
The King unites Himself with the least and lists six simple acts of mercy: Feeding the hungry; Giving water to the thirsty; Welcoming the stranger; Clothing the naked; Caring for the sick and Visiting the imprisoned.
That’s it. Only six actions.
Each of them is simple.
With a little time, a little money, a small home, these can be done with ease.
Why, then, is it so hard?
Because:
We refuse to become small.
We fail to recognize Christ in the least.
We overlook the small ways that lead to the Kingdom.
Moreover, these acts must not be done with the intention of “earning” Heaven.
If we serve others just to gain eternal life, we reduce them to a means to an end.
Using people for personal benefit is one of the greatest dangers of the human heart.
True love does not calculate reward; it simply gives.
It seeks to remove suffering from the face of humanity—
Hunger, thirst, loneliness, sickness, nakedness, and isolation.
Today’s first reading sums it up in a single sentence: “Love your nneighbour as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
Loving myself is easy. Loving my neighbour should be just as natural!
Simple ways. Small actions. These are the keys to the Kingdom.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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