“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

One of the lessons of Lent is that holiness is not abstract. In the first reading from Leviticus, God says, “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.” Holiness is then explained in very practical ways, do not steal, do not lie, do not bear hatred, do not seek revenge. Instead, love your neighbor as yourself. Holiness is not first about extraordinary spiritual experiences; it is about ordinary justice, honesty, mercy, and love. In the Gospel, Jesus takes this teaching even further. He identifies himself with “the least”—the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, the prisoner. The final judgment is not described in terms of how much we prayed or how much we knew, but how much we loved in concrete actions. What we do to others, we do to Christ himself. This is both consoling and challenging. Consoling, because every small act of kindness matters. Challenging, because indifference also matters. It is striking that the righteous in the Gospel are surprised. They did not realize they were serving Christ. They simply responded to human need. Their love was natural, habitual, sincere. They did not calculate; they cared. Lent calls us to this kind of love—quiet, consistent, and real. Psalm 19 reminds us: “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.” God’s Word is not just instruction; it gives life. If we allow it to shape us, we begin to see Christ hidden in the poor, the difficult coworker, the lonely parishioner, the struggling teenager, the family member who tests our patience. “Now is the acceptable time.” Not tomorrow. Not when it is convenient. Today is the day of salvation. Today Christ is hungry in someone. Today Christ is lonely in someone. Today Christ is waiting to be recognized. This Lent, may we ask for the grace to see with the eyes of Christ and to love with his heart, so that in serving the least, we may one day hear: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father.”