hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?’ Then He shall answer them: ‘Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least ones, neither did you do it to Me.' And these shall go into everlasting punishment, but the just into life everlasting.”
COMMENTARY.
Jesus our Judge. The judgment at the end of the world will be held by our Lord Jesus Christ; and our Redeemer will then be our Judge. The Son of God came into the world the first time in poverty and lowliness: when He comes again to judge us, He will come in power, glory and great majesty. Then those will tremble who have not believed in Him, or who have despised His commandments, His Church, and His Sacraments.
The Angels also will take part in accusing the wicked, and bearing testimony to the just. Then, after the judgment, they will take God’s chosen ones, whose guardians and protectors they were on earth, into the eternal joy of the heavenly marriage-feast.
The judgment will be general. All men, though they have been already judged privately, will stand before God’s judgment-seat, and be judged together and openly.
The Divine Judge will equally make known the good works of the just and the evil deeds of the wicked, so that the former may publicly receive their merited praise and reward, and the latter may be put to open shame; and men and angels may know and confess the justice of the Divine Judge.
The law by which men will be judged is that first commandment of Christ, the law of love which contains in itself all the other commandments. He who for the love of our Lord has, according to his ability, done good to his fellow-men, and practised a real love of his neighbour springing from his love for God, will be rewarded for what he has done, just as if he had done it to our Lord Himself. But he who has either performed no works of charity, or has not performed them for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, will stand condemned, because such an one has neither true love nor living faith. We shall therefore be judged not only for the evil which we have done, but also for the good which we have omitted to do.
The sentence will be publicly pronounced. This sentence will be twofold: To the just will be adjudged everlasting life, while the unjust will be banished to hell; both reward and punishment being carried out immediately after the judgment.
