2026 Great Lent calls out to us to Open Our Hearts to God by Rev Christopher P Foustoukos

In the Gospel lesson of Meatfare Sunday (Mt. 25:31-46), which will be read on Sunday February 15th, the Lord tells the multitude gathered to hear HIm a surprising story about a group of people very similar to themselves.

He tells them of the whole race of humanity gathered before Him on the final Day of Judgment. The Lord tells them of the surprised reactions of many of those gathered there, when they are finally assigned either to the right or left hand of God; either to eternal salvation or to eternal damnation.

They are judged either for their willingness or unwillingness to help our Lord in a variety of needy situations: in times of hunger, thirst, nakedness, imprisonment, etc. We hear that neither group is able to comprehend when they had ever encountered and either helped or refused to help the Lord.

And it really matters little that they find it hard to comprehend this message, because God is able to discern a good and dedicated heart even if they themselves cannot. Before our Lord came, those righteous people may have performed their works of mercy out of a sort of second sense, a kind of innate feeling that they were doing what was pleasing to God. It’s possible their sacrifices may have been even more meaningful because they had never heard the counsels of Jesus, the Son of God.

Consider the awesome responsibility that we bear to provide a suitable dwelling place for Him. Christ makes His home in us, and we must be certain that just as the ideal home today is one where peace, love and devotion to one another reign, the spiritual home we provide for the Lord is the same.

What should we do? We must listen to the words of the Lord. We must struggle to follow His perfect example. He was compassionate to the sick, crippled, the poor and thesinner. So, too, if we wish to have a suitable home for the Lord, we must open it to admit all those other children of His with whom He is concerned.

If Christ comes to our hearts and sees that we hold them exclusively for Him and cannot bring ourselves to admit His needy children, He will know that He could not dwell in peace there. He came to serve and if we provide Him with a dwelling place that stifles His activity, He will pass by our spiritual homes.

What Christ wishes to see are spiritual hospitals, old age homes, orphanages, etc., within us, where he knows that He can dwell and dispense His love to all in need of it. If we close the doors of our hearts to our sisters and brothers in Christ, He will pass by our door and our splendor will fall into decay. Remember that is not poverty, disease or any other earthly human infirmity that will prevent our Lord from dwelling in a person, but rather sin. But, even in the case of sin, our Lord continues to knock and hope that we will expel the sin and accept HIm back.

All of humankind was created in the image and likeness of God, and all share in Christ’s humanity. Therefore, it is not possible for us to call ourselves His followers and not recognize Him in our neighbor. And for this reason our Lord tells us, in as much as you did it to one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me.

I pray that you all have a beautiful Lenten Journey and that we are together to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.

+Fr Chris