AUGUST 25, 2013 : TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME year C

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 123

Reading 1IS 66:18-21

Thus says the LORD:
I know their works and their thoughts,
and I come to gather nations of every language;
they shall come and see my glory.
I will set a sign among them;
from them I will send fugitives to the nations:
to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan,
to the distant coastlands
that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory;
and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations
as an offering to the LORD,
on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries,
to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD,
just as the Israelites bring their offering
to the house of the LORD in clean vessels.
Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

Responsorial PsalmPS 117:1, 2

R. (Mk 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2HEB 12:5-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters,
You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
Endure your trials as “discipline”;
God treats you as sons.
For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?
At the time,
all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

GospelLK 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

www.usccb.org

Scripture Study

August 25, 2013 Twenty-First Sunday In Ordinary Time

On the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time the first reading and the Gospel tell us that the Kingdom is for all those who are willing to commit themselves to Jesus and that all are called to sing the praises of God. The second reading reminds us that trials and difficulties are a part of life and we must embrace them as part of the human condition and praise God in the midst of them for His transforming power will bring us through them to the final and complete joy on the other side. Who or what helps me to be strong on the way to the narrow gate? How do I help others to be strong?

First Reading: Isaiah 66: 18-21

18 [Thus says the Lord] I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the LORD in clean vessels. 21 Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

NOTES on First Reading:

* 66:18-21 God is depicted as summoning the neighboring nations to Zion and picking from among them those whom He will send to some far distant lands in order to proclaim His glory. "All your brethren" refers to the Jews in exile.

* 66:18 Glory invokes the memory of 40:5 where it is an object of pilgrimage in the Temple.

* 66:19 The "sign" is usually taken to center around the survival of Jerusalem to become an object of pilgrimage and the destination for a new exodus for both Diaspora Jews and for Gentiles. The place names provide an image of a triumphal procession from all directions.

* 66:20 This is a radical statement that seems to welcome Gentiles bringing their own sacrifices to the Temple of God.

* 66:21 While Ezekiel, Haggai, and Zechariah are restricting the priesthood to the Zadokites and dispossessing other Levites of important cultic functions (Ezek 40:46; 44:10-16) Trito-Isaiah seems to suggest extending the priesthood to the Gentiles. This is sometimes seen as a clearer vision of God's future workings in Christ's disciples.

Second Reading: Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13

5 You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." 7 Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?

11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 12:5 We as Christians should regard our own sufferings as the affectionate correction of the Lord, who loves us as a father loves his children. See Proverbs 3:11-12.

* 12:7 The author sees trials and sufferings as a learning exercise through which we must pass in order to be properly trained children of our God and Father. The Greek word used for discipline or trials has several meanings, among which are: the whole training and education of children whatever in adults cultivates the soul, especially by correcting mistakes and curbing passions. instruction which aims at increasing virtue chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)

* 12:11-13 The writer asks his readers to look at the fruits of their passage through their trials and troubles. The troubles through which we pass act to strengthen and teach us as did the disciplinary actions of our parents. He asks us to see our trials as discipline from God intended to instruct and purify our hearts.

Gospel Reading: Luke 13: 22-30

22 He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' 26 And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' 27 Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' 28 And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

NOTES on Gospel Reading:

* 13:22-30 These sayings of Jesus immediately follow the parables of the kingdom (Luke 13:18-21). They further develop the concepts of the effort that is required in living out the gospel and a sense of urgency because the door will not remain open indefinitely.

* 13:24 Not all who wish to enter will be willing to live the gospel.

*13:25-27 Casual eating and drinking with Jesus is not really belonging to Him. Real gospel living as symbolized in Luke by His table fellowship with the lowly is required.

* 13:27-30 The background of the sayings is the rejection of Jesus and his message by his Jewish contemporaries (Luke 13:26) whose places at table in the kingdom will be taken by Gentiles from the four corners of the world (Luke 13:29).

* 13:28-29 The Kingdom of God is imaged by the eschatological banquet (Isa 25:6-8). Those who refuse to commit themselves to Jesus find themselves on the outside. God in His mercy and graciousness opens the banquet to all peoples who now form the reconstituted Israel.

* 13:30 This is a common and much used proverb of the time with many applications. Here its primary interpretation is: "Those called last (the Gentiles) will precede those to whom the invitation to enter was first extended (the Jews)." See also Luke 14:15-24. It still applies today as a warning against self-righteousness.

www.st-raymond-dublin.org

Meditation: "Do not risk being shut out!"

 What does the image of a door say to us about the kingdom of God? Jesus' story about the door being shut to those who come too late suggests they had offended their host and deserved to be excluded. It was customary for teachers in Jesus' time to close the door on tardy students and not allow them back for a whole week in order to teach them a lesson in discipline and faithfulness. Jesus told this story in response to the question of who will make it to heaven. Many rabbis held that all Israel would be saved, except for a few blatant sinners who excluded themselves! After all, they were specially chosen by God when he established a covenant with them.
Jesus doesn't directly answer the question, however; but his response is nonetheless unsettling on two counts. First, Jesus surprised his listeners by saying that one's membership as a covenanted people does not automatically mean entry into the kingdom of God. Second, Jesus asserts that many from the gentile nations would enter God's kingdom. God's invitation is open to Jew and Gentile alike. But Jesus warns that we can be excluded if we do not strive to enter by the narrow door.  What did Jesus mean by this expression? The door which Jesus had in mind was himself. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved (John 10:9).  Jesus opens the way for us to enter into God's kingdom through the cross where he has laid down his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. If we want to enter and remain citizens of God's kingdom, then we must follow Jesus in the way of the cross. The word strive can also be translated agony. To enter the kingdom of God one must struggle against the forces of temptation to sin and whatever would hinder us from doing the will of God (even apathy, indifference, and compromise).
The good news is that we do not struggle alone. God is with us and his grace is sufficient! As we strive side by side  for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27) Jesus assures us of complete victory! Do you trust in God's grace and help, especially in times of testing and temptation?
"Lord Jesus, help me to always trust in your saving grace, especially when I am tempted and put to the test. Help me to be faithful to you and give me the courage and strength to resist temptation, especially the temptation to compromise or to be indifferent to your word."
www.dailyscripture.net

The One Thing Necessary

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 13:22-30 Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ´Lord, open the door for us.´ He will say to you in reply, ´I do not know where you are from.´ And you will say, ´We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.´ Then he will say to you, ´I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!´ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." Introductory Prayer: I believe in you, my God. You called me into existence from nothingness and carefully watch over me. You have even numbered the hairs of my head. I trust in your infinite goodness, and I abandon into your loving hands my fears, my hopes, my needs, my desires, everything. I love you, Lord, and wish to love you with all my mind, heart, soul and strength. Petition: I shall not fear for my salvation, but grow in confidence in you, my God. 1. Salvation: A Numbers Racket? We never stop asking the question the person in the Gospel asked Jesus. If we don’t achieve eternal life, nothing else we have attained in life matters. Jesus does not give the answer we might want to hear: that many are saved, and salvation is a sure and simple thing to reach. Instead, he warns us against presumption in this matter. As Saint Paul later said, “Work out your salvation in fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). It is something we need to take with the utmost seriousness. Every day we need to pray for the grace to persevere to the end. We need to live each day with the perspective that it could be our last. We need to go back to the venerable tradition of praying for a “happy death.” 2. Narrow Gates: When Jesus speaks of the narrow gate, he is saying that salvation is not a birthright or something guaranteed. It depends on our active cooperation with his grace -- the real effort to love God and follow his will. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus warned that not everyone who cries out, “Lord, Lord…” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of his Father in heaven. Obedience to God’s will is the best assurance we can have of our salvation. What is there in my life that is not in accord with his will? 3. Judge Not… We might also be surprised that those from “the east and the west” will enter the kingdom before many others. We might be surprised at those who are saved. Salvation is not a privilege of a race or a chosen people. It is a matter of how we respond in freedom to grace and the invitation of the Lord to a certain way of life. We shouldn’t give in to judging where others stand; we should only attend to our own soul. Are we at peace with God in our conscience? Can we be sure we are objective about our own situation in God’s eyes? Our conscience should be clear, and we should make sure we are serene and have peace of soul. If we find there is something between us and God’s will, we should go to confession and pray for the grace to change. Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the grace to know your will and the discernment to know if there is anything in my soul that is keeping me from you. Help me to overcome any obstacle, so that I may be one with you and that your will may be my guide every day. Resolution: I will make frequent confession a habit and every day examine my conscience to seek union and peace with the Lord.

www.regnumchristi.org

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
LUKE 13:22-30

(Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalm 117; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13)
KEY VERSE: "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able" (v 24).
READING: As Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, he stressed the urgency of answering God's call. Someone asked, �Lord, will only a few be saved?" (Lk 13:23). They were certain that the kingdom of God was for the Jews and that the Gentiles would be shut out. Jesus declared that entry to God's reign was not automatic but the result of a strenuous effort (Greek, agonia, to �agonize,� or �struggle�). The door to the kingdom was a narrow way through which disciples must pass with singular determination. The door would not remain open indefinitely. The faithless ones who delayed their conversion would not be admitted, while the faithful would be welcomed to share fellowship with the saints of old. Since those to whom the invitation was first extended rejected Jesus, others would take their place. They would come from the four corners of the earth to share the banquet in God's eternal reign.
REFLECTING: Have I repented of my sins so that Jesus will welcome me into his kingdom?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to be converted daily to do your will
www.daily-word-of-life.com

Gateway to Life

Jesus doesn’t answer the question put to Him in this Sunday’s Gospel. It profits us nothing to speculate on how many will be saved. What we need to know is what He tells us today - how to enter into salvation and how urgent it is to strive now, before the Master closes the door.

Jesus is “the narrow gate,” the only way of salvation, the path by which all must travel to enter the kingdom of the Father (see John 14:6).

In Jesus, God has come - as He promises in this week’s First Reading - to gather nations of every language, to reveal to them His glory.

Eating and drinking with them, teaching in their streets, Jesus in the Gospel is slowly making His way to Jerusalem. There, Isaiah’s vision will be fulfilled: On the holy mountain He will be lifted up (see John 3:14), will draw to Himself bretheren from among all the nations - to worship in the heavenly Jerusalem, to glorify Him for His kindness, as we sing in Sunday’s Psalm.

In God’s plan, the kingdom was proclaimed first to the Israelites and last to the Gentiles (see Romans 1:16; Acts 3:25-26), who in the Church have come from the earth’s four corners to make up the new people of God (see Isaiah 43:5-6; Psalm 107:2-3).

Many however will lose their place at the heavenly table, Jesus warns. Refusing to accept His narrow way they will weaken, render themselves unknown to the Father (see Isaiah 63:15-16).

We don’t want to be numbered among those of drooping hands and weak knees (see Isaiah 35:3). So we must strive for that narrow gate, a way of hardship and suffering - the way of the beloved Son.

As this week’s Epistle reminds us, by our trials we know we are truly God’s sons and daughters. We are being disciplined by our afflictions, strengthened to walk that straight and narrow path - that we may enter the gate, take our place at the banquet of the righteous.

 


Yours in Christ,


Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

August 25
St. Louis of France
(1226-1270)

At his coronation as king of France, Louis IX bound himself by oath to behave as God’s anointed, as the father of his people and feudal lord of the King of Peace. Other kings had done the same, of course. Louis was different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in the light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns, he brought peace and justice.

He was crowned king at 12, at his father’s death. His mother, Blanche of Castile, ruled during his minority. When he was 19 and his bride 12, he was married to Marguerite of Provence. It was a loving marriage, though not without challenge. They had 11 children.

Louis “took the cross” for a Crusade when he was 30. His army seized Damietta ini Egypt but not long after, weakened by dysentery and without support, they were surrounded and captured. Louis obtained the release of the army by giving up the city of Damietta in addition to paying a ransom. He stayed in Syria four years.

He deserves credit for extending justice in civil administration. His regulations for royal officials became the first of a series of reform laws. He replaced trial by battle with a form of examination of witnesses and encouraged the use of written records in court.

Louis was always respectful of the papacy, but defended royal interests against the popes and refused to acknowledge Innocent IV’s sentence against Emperor Frederick II.

Louis was devoted to his people, founding hospitals, visiting the sick and, like his patron St. Francis (October 4), caring even for people with leprosy. (He is one of the patrons of the Secular Franciscan Order.) Louis united France—lords and townsfolk, peasants and priests and knights—by the force of his personality and holiness. For many years the nation was at peace.

Every day Louis had 13 special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. He kept lists of needy people, whom he regularly relieved, in every province of his dominion.

Disturbed by new Muslim advances in Syria, he led another crusade in 1267, at the age of 41. His crusade was diverted to Tunis for his brother’s sake. The army was decimated by disease within a month, and Louis himself died on foreign soil at the age of 44. He was canonized 27 years later.

Stories:

Every day Louis had thirteen special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. He kept lists of needy people, whom he regularly relieved, in every province of his dominion.

Comment:

Louis was strong-willed, strong-minded. His word was trusted utterly, and his courage in action was remarkable. What is most remarkable was his sense of respect for anyone with whom he dealt, especially the “humble folk of the Lord.” To care for his people he built cathedrals, churches, libraries, hospitals and orphanages. He dealt with princes honestly and equitably. He hoped to be treated the same way by the King of Kings, to whom he gave his life, his family and his country.

Patron Saint of:

Barbers
Grooms

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO: 21ST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, August 25, 2013  

The narrow door and the call of the gentiles
Luke 13:22-30

1. LECTIO

a) Opening prayer:

We come before you, Father, and because we do not know how to talk to you, to help us we use the words your Son Jesus pronounced on our behalf. Help us to listen to the upsetting message of this word: «Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed». This is a word you repeat to everyone who listens to your Son’s Gospel. Help us to understand it. So that we may be able to read your Scripture and savour it, feel it burn like a fire in us, we implore you, Father, send us your Spirit. And you Mary, Mother of contemplation who have kept the words and events of Jesus in your heart for a long time, grant us to contemplate the Word, to listen to it and allow it to penetrate our hearts.

b) Reading of the Gospel:

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And some one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24 "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!' 28 There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

c) A few moments of prayerful silence:

To listen devoutly to the voice of God, we need silence and interior calm. We need to create in our hearts «a quiet corner where we can make contact with God» (E. Stein) and be able to establish deep communication between ourselves and the Word. If we do not stand before God in silence, in silence and gazing on his face, we will form words but we will be saying nothing.

2. MEDITATIO

a) A key to the reading:

This Sunday’s passage is found in the second part of Luke’s Gospel where Jerusalem, the object of Jesus’ existential and theological journey, is mentioned several times of which three are part of the post-Paschal liturgical way: Lk 9:51 (13th Sunday of ordinary time “C”), Lk 13:22-30 (21st Sunday of ordinary time “C”) and Lk 17:11 (28th Sunday of ordinary time “C”). The proclamation of a journey, placed at the beginning of the Gospel text, helps the readers to remember that they are also journeying towards Jerusalem with Jesus. The journey towards the holy city is the thread that runs through the whole of the second part of the Gospel (Lk 9:51-19,46) and most of what is said is introduced by verbs of movement presenting Jesus and his disciples as pilgrims or itinerants. Jesus’ journey towards the holy city is not strictly speaking a geographical journey, but corresponds to a theological and spiritual journey. This kind of journey involves also the disciple and the reader of the Gospel: going on «the journey» of Jesus makes us as if like itinerants whose mandate is to preach the Gospel.

On this journey Jesus faces conflicts with the Jewish world, and in Lk 13:10-30 includes three episodes: 13:10-17 (the healing of the crippled woman), 18-21 (the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast) and in 22-30 (the discourse on the narrow door). This last is the text the liturgy of the Word presents to us this Sunday. It begins with the journey as a background to Jesus’ words as he went «through towns and villages…teaching» (v.22). It is characteristic of Luke to note Jesus’ ministry as a journey.

Now, at one stage on this journey towards Jerusalem, someone puts a question to Jesus: how many will be saved? Jesus’ reply does not mention any number of those who will be saved but contains an exhortation and a warning, «try», points to an attitude to be assumed: «to enter by the narrow door». This image recalls in the mind of the disciples and of Luke’s community the need to address their preoccupation with the burdensome commitment that the journey of faith demands. Immediately after this, Jesus introduces the true and proper teaching with a parable that is associated with the image of the narrow door, the parable of the master of the house who, after having closed the door of the house, will not allow anyone in (v.25). This detail brings to mind the end of the parable of the ten virgins in Mt 25,10-12. These examples tell us that there is an intermediate time when we must commit ourselves to receive salvation before the door is closed definitively and irreversibly.

Partaking in even the founding moments in the life of the community, like at the supper of the Lord («we have eaten and drunk in your presence») and the proclamation of the Word («you have taught in our squares»), if not backed up by a life commitment, cannot avoid the danger of condemnation. Luke’s Gospel likes to present Jesus as taking part at the table of those who invite him, but not all who sit at the table with him have an automatic right to the definitive salvation that he proclaimed through the image of a banquet. Thus, also, having heard his teaching does not automatically guarantee salvation. In fact, in Luke, listening to Jesus’ word is an indispensable condition for discipleship, but it is not enough. Disciples need to make the commitment to follow the master, keeping his teaching and bearing fruit through perseverance (Lk 8:15).

Those who have not been able to enter by the narrow door before it is closed are called «doers of iniquity»: they are those who did not commit themselves to putting God’s plan into practice. Their future situation is presented figuratively with an expression that tells of the irreversibility of their not being saved: «Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth» (v.28).

Interesting is the reference to the great biblical patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and to all the prophets: they will enter and be part of the kingdom of God. If to Jesus’ contemporaries this affirmation could seem to indicate that salvation was the privilege of the Jews, for Christians of Luke’s community it constituted a warning not to think of salvation as an automatic consequence. The kingdom that Jesus proclaims becomes the place where the disciples meet and come from the «east and west, from north and south» (v.29). Jesus’ discourse introduces a dynamic of salvation that involves the whole of humanity and is addressed especially to the poor and sick (Lk 14:15-24). Luke, more than the other Evangelists, is sensitive to the proclamation of a universal salvation and presents Jesus as offering the promise of salvation no longer just to Israel, but to all peoples. The final affirmation comes as a sign of this changed condition of salvation:«there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last» (v.30). This affirmation shows how God upsets and turns upside down the mechanisms of human logic: no one must trust in a position attained, but everyone is invited to constantly tune into the Gospel’s wavelength.

b) Some questions:

i) The narrow door of salvation reminds us of the necessity of all to be committed to receiving this gift. The image does not say that God wishes to make it difficult to obtain salvation, but it emphasises the co-responsibility of men and women, the concreteness of the effort involved in this commitment to obtain salvation. According to Cyprian, going through the narrow door means a transformation: «Who does not wish to be transformed as soon as possible into the image of Christ?». The image of the narrow door is a symbol of the work of transformation to which the believer is committed through a slow and progressive effort on him/herself in order to refine him/herself and be moulded by the Gospel. More correctly, the one who does not commit him/herself to any kind of reciprocal relationship with God, with others and with the world, risks perdition. Often the temptation is to propose other doors, seemingly easier and more useful, like those of selfishness, avoiding God’s friendship and relationships with others. Are you committed to build relationships or are you intent on being selfish? Are you convinced that salvation is offered you through the relational dimension of communion with God and others?

ii) Salvation is possible for all. Everyone may attain it, but such a gift from Jesus requires an effective and personal response from us. In Jesus’ teaching we do not find the use of any threat to render people aware regarding salvation, but only an invitation to be fully aware of the extraordinary and irreversible opportunity of the gift of mercy and life before God and in dialogue with Him. Towards what and towards whom is your life pointing? How do you use your freedom? Are you able to welcome God’s invitation to be co-responsible for your salvation or have you surrendered to waste and perdition?

iii) If we consider the question of that person who asked Jesus:«Sir, will there be only few saved?», no one can consider him/herself privileged. Salvation belongs to all and all are called. The door to salvation may be closed for those who expect to enter with the unwieldy luggage of personal inconsistencies. Do you feel the desire to enter and be part of that «infinite throng from east and west who will sit at the table of the kingdom of God»? And if you see yourself as last (small, simple, sinner, bent by suffering…) if you live with love and hope, do not despair. Jesus said that the last will be first.

3. ORATIO

a) Psalm 117, 1-2

Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us;
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!

b) Closing prayer:

Lord, grant that we may feel the life of your Word we have heard; break, we beseech you, the knots of our uncertainty, our quibbles, our “ifs” and “buts” that hold us back from entering into salvation through the narrow door. Grant that we may welcome without fear, without too many doubts, the Word of God that invites us to commit ourselves and work hard at our life of faith. Lord, grant that through the Word we have heard this Sunday, the day of the Lord, we may be freed from false security concerning our salvation and may your Word bring us joy, strengthen, purify and save us. And you, Mary, model of those who listen and of silence, help to be alive and authentic, to understand that, in virtue of the Word, whatever is difficult becomes easy, whatever is obscure becomes light.

4. CONTEMPLATIO

Contemplation is the peak of any biblical reading after we have meditated and prayed. To contemplate is to enter, through listening to the Word, into a faith and love relationship with God who is life and truth and who in Christ has revealed to us his face. The Word of God unveils that hidden face in every page of Sacred Scripture. Suffice it to looked in admiration, be open to the light, allow it to penetrate us. It is the ecstasy experienced before the beautiful and the good. Extend into your daily life this climate of great communication experienced with God in listening to his Word, and preserve the taste of the beauty in your dialogue with others in whatever work you do.

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