"Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?" Then Jesus will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." (Matthew 25:44-45)
2000 years ago, Jesus had already told us how to see him and serve him. Yet, many people still refuse to see the needy. Pope Francis has offered an explanation in his 2016 Lent Message. It goes all the way to the root of all sins, "you will be like God" (Genesis 3:5). We are omnipotent but our development and achievement "...leads to lack of concern for the fate of the poor on the part of wealthier individuals and societies; they close their doors, refusing even to see the poor."
Once again, we see that science and technology cannot be neutral. There is always a need of moral guidance behind all human endeavours. Without morality, scientific advancements can create monstrous harm to the society. On the personal level, Christian morality is a matter of salvation.
Pope Francis says it well. "Lazarus (Luke 16:20-21), the poor man, is a figure of Christ, who through the poor pleads for our conversion. As such, he represents the possibility of conversion which God offers us and which we may well fail to see." That is to say, if we refuse to see the poor and the needy, we miss a conversion opportunity. The consequence of this blindness is serious. Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see', your guilt remains." (John 9:41) That's why the Pope, quoting St. John of the Cross, insists that "as we prepare to leave this life, we will be judged on the basis of love." (Misericordiae Vultus 15), repeating the teaching of Matthew 25. Performing works or mercy is a cure of this spiritual blindness. As simple as ABC.
Dear Lord, I want to see again. Amen.
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