Love made visible
Today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew about the Last Judgment is easily in my top three favorite passages. As I was reading it again for this reflection, a new insight struck me. Both the righteous and those on the left respond to Jesus in exactly the same way: “Lord, when did we see you?” The surprise is shared. Neither group recognized Christ as they were making their choices. The difference between them was not belief, knowledge, or intention, but response.
Those called righteous did not act because they saw Jesus clearly in front of them. They fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and cared for the vulnerable because compassion had become part of who they were. Mercy was not calculated or delayed. It was practiced. They did not pause to ask whether the person in need was worthy, grateful, or familiar. They simply responded. Only later did they discover that, in serving others, they had encountered Christ Himself.
The “goats” are not condemned for cruelty or hostility. They are not accused of violence or hatred. Their failure is quieter and more unsettling. They saw the same needs. They passed the same hungry, the same strangers, the same suffering neighbors. But they did not respond. Their lives were marked not by what they did wrong, but by what they left undone. Compassion remained an idea rather than a habit.
That is what makes this Gospel so uncomfortable. Jesus does not ask whether we recognized Him. He asks whether we acted when need stood before us. The question is not about intention, awareness, or even belief. It is about love made visible.
This Gospel invites an honest examination of conscience. It reminds us that holiness is rarely loud. It is shaped quietly through presence, consistency, and care. Each moment offers a choice. Each act of mercy moves us closer to Christ. And each refusal, however small, moves us away.
Chris Austgen is the Coordinator of Social Concerns at Mary Queen Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and served for several years with the Catholic Charities USA Parish Socia Ministry Team.