Are we sheep or goats?

Notes of meeting on 10 February 2015

Matthew 25 v 31 -46
³¹ 'When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory.
³² All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats.
³³ He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome,
³⁶ lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me."
³⁷ Then the upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you?
³⁹ When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?"
⁴⁰ And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."
⁴¹ Then he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
⁴² For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink,
⁴³ I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me."
⁴⁴ Then it will be their turn to ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?"
⁴⁵ Then he will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me."
⁴⁶ And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.'


Lord help us to be compassionate to our brothers and sisters in need.


Prayer for Peace:
Lord, God of peace, who has created man, the object of your kindness, to be close to you in glory, we bless you and we thank you because you have sent us your beloved son, Jesus, the source of all peace, the bond of true brotherhood.
We thank you for the desire, the efforts, the realisations which your spirit of peace has roused in our day: to replace hatred with love, diffidence with understanding, unconcern with care. Open yet more our hearts to the needs of all our brothers and sisters, so that we may be better able to build a true peace.
Remember, Father of mercy, all who are in pain, who suffer and die in the cause of a more brotherly world. For the men of every race, of every tongue - may your kingdom come: your kingdom of justice, of peace, of love; and may the earth be filled with your glory.
Amen.