Homily by Fr. Ruslan Babii on the Meatfare Sunday

Dear friends in Christ!

Today’s Gospel is often called the Gospel of the Last Judgement. If we listen carefully, we see that the focus is not on the judgement itself but on the one who judges — Christ. It is interesting to see under what law He judges. He stands as King. But this King speaks of Himself in a very unexpected way. He does not say, ‘I was strong and powerful!’ He says, ‘I was hungry… I was thirsty… I was a stranger… I was naked… I was sick… I was in prison…’

That is, Christ identifies Himself with human vulnerability. Because we often look for Christ somewhere ‘higher’, in long prayers or correct practices. And Christ says, ‘I was with you in the one who was weak, invisible to most, and inconvenient for “Christians in words”.’

Let us look closely: at the trial, no one argues with Christ. No one justifies themselves. Everyone is just amazed: ‘Lord, when did we see You? If we had seen You, we would have served You, because we love You!’ And this means one thing: they did not expect to see Christ where He actually was. They did not recognise Him!

This is not a Gospel about evil people. This is a Gospel about indifferent people who did not learn to recognise Christ because they became selfish. For the judgement in this Gospel is not a list of sins and transgressions, even though there were many of them in our earthly life. It is the moment when it becomes clear whether my life was connected with Christ or revolved only around myself.

And here a profound truth is revealed. Christ does not ask, ‘Did you love me?’ He asks, ‘Did you accept me?’ Because to accept Christ is to accept Him as He comes. And He comes not as a victor, but as one in need. This is the same Christ who was born in poverty, who had nowhere to lay His head, who became completely defenceless on the cross. And so the Last Judgement is not a new encounter with Christ. It is a revelation of how we have lived with Him until now.

It is no coincidence that Meatfare Sunday precedes Great Lent. Before we begin the path of repentance, the Church asks us not about rules but about our relationship with God. Is Christ a living person in my life? Do I allow Him to come to me in an inconvenient way — through my neighbour? Because if I do not recognise Christ in the person next to me, it is very likely that I will not recognise Him in the depths of my own heart. And so, I will never learn to love truly. Nor will I fulfil any of the commandments or the Gospel counsels. What then will I say to my Judge — Christ at the Last Judgement?

Amen

See also

December 20 Homily by Fr. Ruslan Babii on the Twenty-eighth Sunday after Pentecost August 18 The Parish Feast Day was solemnly celebrated in Ardeer August 16 Homily by Fr. Ruslan Babii on the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost