This Sunday is the last of the liturgical year, the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King. Our Mass readings for the feast this year include the text from St. Matthew in which we hear Jesus' words about the last judgment, the separation of the sheep from the goats. Perhaps often - and understandably - we tremble at the thought of meeting our Divine King and Judge. What I would like to point out in this brief reflection, however, is the message of great consolation and hope in this and our other readings for the feast.

First, in Jesus' words about the sheep and the goats, we hear him say that he, our glorious King, will act "as a shepherd." There is an echo here of our first reading, from the Prophet Ezekiel, about the Lord as a shepherd who cares for his sheep. We cannot fail to think also of Jesus' description of himself as our "Good Shepherd," who even lays down his life to protect and give life to his sheep. With all of the same power that he has to judge us, Jesus offers us salvation; he offers to make us his faithful and loving and living sheep. It is our Savior who will be our Judge. He will judge us in order to save us, if we have accepted his salvation.

Second, Jesus, our King upon his throne, will say to his sheep: "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you." As King, he prepares his Kingdom for us. He wants us to enter into his Kingdom. We can consider here St. Paul's words in our second reading about the purpose of Jesus' reign: to "put all his enemies under his feet" - namely, those things that our the enemies of our perfect happiness too, concluding with "death" itself. It is, again, the one who died and rose to give us life who is our King and who will be our Judge. He will judge us in order to give us life in his Kingdom, if we have accepted this life.

Third and finally, we might note the nature of the judgment of which our Lord speaks. The sheep will be those who have loved him by loving - by caring for - other men and women. The goats will be those who failed to do this. In other words, the sheep will be those who have shared in his own loving plan and mission; the goats will be those who did not - those who did not, themselves, love his sheep. It is precisely, and only, because Jesus loves and gives eternal life and happiness to his sheep that his judgment condemns those who did not share in this same love.

Let us, then, offer adoration and praise to our King and Savior, on this feast and every day; and let us joyfully hope in him.