Salvation
Matthew 25:31-46
For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat... Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry...? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.
Context of the passage
In his final parable before the Passion, Jesus describes the Last Judgment of all nations, separated as sheep and goats based on their treatment of 'the least of these.'
Catholic reading
Christ himself, in his own words about the final judgment, bases the eternal verdict explicitly on acts of mercy performed or neglected, confirming that authentic faith must be expressed concretely in charitable works to result in salvation.
Common objection
This parable illustrates the fruit that naturally flows from genuine faith, not the basis of salvation itself, which remains faith alone.
Response
Notably, faith itself is never mentioned in this scene at all; Jesus grounds the verdict purely in works of mercy done to him in the person of the needy, which is precisely why the Church insists grace-filled works, not faith in isolation, are integral to final salvation.