At the end of our earthly journey
"Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'… And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:34-36, 40) In this powerful depiction of the Last Judgment, Jesus Christ articulates a defining criterion by which the authenticity of Christian discipleship is measured: concrete acts of mercy toward the most vulnerable. Central to this passage is the profound theological revelation that service to those in need directly constitutes service to Christ Himself. Christ's identification with the poor, marginalized, and suffering underscores the inseparable connection...