February 23, 2026
Monday of the First Week of Lent
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Today is Monday of the First Week of Lent. The Gospel passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew presents us with Jesus’ description of the scene of the Last Judgment.
In this changing world, we often yearn for heaven and wonder what the Last Judgment will be like at the end of time. At the beginning of today’s Gospel at Mass, Saint Matthew reveals to us the astonishing vision of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He will reveal all that people have done, separating those brothers and sisters who did the will of God during their earthly lives from those who acted against His divine will. Thus, those who already lived out God’s will on earth will receive eternal reward for the good works they performed, while those who did what the Lord considers evil will face eternal perdition for their wicked deeds.

We often chase the comfortable life that money brings, yet overlook those living in hardship—precisely the five categories of people Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel (Matthew 25:31-36, 42-44): those who are hungry; those who long for eternal happiness; those who are strangers and sojourn in foreign lands because they proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; those who are naked; those who are sick with serious illnesses and abandoned; and those who are bound by various reasons. These are people we encounter frequently in daily life, sometimes unexpectedly, and they eagerly await our care and love.

We can fall into the bondage and captivity of worldly attachments, leading to a numbed mindset. This is like how the righteous, who received a hundredfold reward from God, responded to the King (Matthew 25:37-39). Because our faith often remains superficial, we overlook the small details of daily life. In truth, God offers us opportunities to practice charity in unexpected moments.

Let us make good use of Lent to rediscover the truly vulnerable in our lives, help them according to our ability as God wills, and pray for them often. Amen.

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica