Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Monday First Week of Lent Mt 25

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series.

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

A Time Set Apart – Monday, First Week of Lent

Communion Antiphon (cf. Matthew 25:40, 34)
Amen, I say to you: whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren,
you did it for me, says the Lord.
Come, you blessed of my Father;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 

Thinking About the Words

Praying the Communion Antiphons is so rich — the liturgy quietly reframes Scripture, and unless we slow down, we miss the nuance.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says:

“Whatever you did to one of the least of these… you did it to me.”

But in the Communion Antiphon, we hear:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me.”

It is a subtle shift.

“To me” speaks of identification. Christ is mysteriously present in the poor. What we do touches Him. 

“For me” highlights intention. What we do becomes something offered  to Him.

At Communion, that nuance matters. As we approach the altar, the Church places these words on our lips as if to say:

When you feed the hungry, you are not merely performing charity.
You are making an offering to Christ Himself.

There is another quiet shift.

In the Gospel, the kingdom is proclaimed first — “Come, inherit the kingdom” — and then the works of mercy are named.

In the antiphon, the works are heard first, and then the inheritance.

Why?

This is intentional because at Mass, we are not simply hearing about the Last Judgment. We are being formed for daily life.

The order gently reminds us:

Mercy is not a footnote to discipleship. It is the path into the kingdom.

As we receive Christ in Communion, we are also being sent to recognise Him in the least.

 

Reflection

• Do I recognise Christ in those I find inconvenient?
• When I act with mercy, do I see it as charity or as an offering to Christ?
• Is my Lenten practice inward only, or does it move outward toward the vulnerable?
• What one concrete act of mercy is the Lord inviting me into today?

 

This communion Antiphon  is deeply Lenten.

Not dramatic repentance. Not private piety alone. It is But love made visible.

The Communion Antiphons provide an opportunity to notice the nuance.
It helps to sharpen our liturgical eye.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
open my eyes to see You in the least.
Let every act of mercy become an offering to You.
Lead me into Your kingdom by the path of love.