Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Recognizing Christ in those around us: Antidote for “sins of omission” Readings: Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17 / Psalm 23 / I Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28 / Matthew 25: 31-46
“I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do…” The words of the penitential act are so familiar that we say them at Mass from memory. That is a good thing. Even better is when something that is habitual expresses true commitment.
For me, the most difficult part to explain is, “what we fail to do.” These are referred to as “sins of omission.” It is not about acts we commit but obligations we fail to carry out and good deeds we neglect to do. These sins can be varied since the matter and circumstances can be quite diverse.
Today’s reading from chapter 25 of the Gospel according to Matthew is of the parable of the final judgment and occurs right before the Last Supper and the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. This parable represents the culmination of Christ’s teaching and provokes the question: What have we done to serve the Lord authentically?
When Jesus says, “What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me,” Jesus provides us a clear explanation of what is meant by “sins of omission.” He refers to the failure to love, neglecting to serve the real needs of others. It is a matter of not recognizing the many ways that Christ presents himself to us.
According to Pope Francis, this can be a grave risk for even those who serve in the church or consider themselves as true believers, but “act as if God did not exist, make decisions as if the poor did not exist and set goals as if others did not exist.”¹ He refers to this as “practical relativism,”² when someone can become so focused on what they consider to be important and of greater priority, even ministry in the church, that they neglect to recognize Christ when he is present in the people we encounter, especially in those who are poor and suffering.
The Lord is present, not in hiding. It’s about recognizing him as he is and not as we might want him to appear.
Another important aspect is the response of the goats on the king’s left: “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?” The king makes it clear that the attitude or response, “We didn’t know,” is not enough and will not let us of the hook. Ignorance is no excuse.
When it comes to the obligation to love with deeds, not just words, it is not necessary to know the other person, our neighbor, personally beforehand. Rather, we must have compassion to enter into their situation sufficiently to be able to recognize their true needs and understand how we can help them recover their dignity. That’s how we find Jesus.
When we are willing and able to do spiritual works of mercy with the least of our brothers and sisters, we will end up knowing them sincerely by understanding how they have suffered.
Many times, sins of omission can be somewhat spontaneous or can transpire without any prior consideration. However, in my view they are frequently the result of a lack of attention to the persons who are near us.
In the end, most sins of omission are failures to love, not acting out of love in the right moment and overlooking the obligation to love in situations of need. In the end, sins of omission are times when we miss or overlook Jesus, while he is waiting to be assisted and loved.
Peace be with you! Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.
Notes: ¹ Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 80 ² Ibid