In today's Gospel, we are struck by the reality that there are really only two groups of people,
and in our modern age, it is often used as a device to escape the responsibility of our Christian life
to say that many things are in gray areas and that everything must be open to dialogue.
And yet, we know this is not true, for our Lord teaches us very clearly in today's Gospel
what is required of His followers. Indeed, He lists the corporal works of mercy as necessary
for those who would follow Him. And this is so because where the Christian is,
the works of Christ may be. And so, we see that our Lord came in order to minister to all the needs of mankind,
that is, to minister them according to their proper needs. And so, He truly exercised the corporal works of mercy.
We see that as He worked for the conversion of sinners, first He would sit down with the sinners,
that is, He would visit them, gain their confidence, and then begin to teach them those more important truths,
those matters of eternal salvation.
Or, as we often know them, the spiritual works of mercy.
And so, we see that ultimately the excuse of those who do not follow the Lord
are that they consider the Lord, they showed themselves to be usurpers,
just like Satan had showed himself, trying, as it were, to keep to himself
those things that he had received from God. And so, all the goods we have,
all the good abilities we have, to bear suffering and to do all things we have,
we have to live them. And so, we see that our Lord God has given us the grace.
As He told the young man, why do you call me good? God alone is good.
And that is why we can confidently call our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ good,
because He is truly God and truly man and He has come, not to be a severe taskmaster,
but to give us the grace in order to endure the trials and tribulations of this life,
so that we may truly suffer in union with Him,
who suffered first for us,
his mission of conquering all souls for the kingdom of his Father.
© transcript Emily Beynon