Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 123
Lectionary: 123
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.
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.
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.
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.
AlleluiaJN 14:6
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father, except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father, except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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."
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."
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.
Who
will be invited to enter God's kingdom?
Jesus told this story in response to the question of who will make it to heaven - to God's kingdom of everlasting peace and eternal life. Many rabbis held that all Israel would be saved and gain entry into God's kingdom, except for a few blatant sinners who excluded themselves! After all, they were specially chosen by God when he established a covenant relationship with them.
Jesus told this story in response to the question of who will make it to heaven - to God's kingdom of everlasting peace and eternal life. Many rabbis held that all Israel would be saved and gain entry into God's kingdom, except for a few blatant sinners who excluded themselves! After all, they were specially chosen by God when he established a covenant relationship with them.
Jesus
surprised his listeners by saying that one's membership as a people who have
entered into a covenant relationship with God does not automatically mean entry
into the everlasting kingdom of God. Second, Jesus asserts that many from the
Gentile (non-Jewish) nations would enter God's kingdom. God's invitation is
open to Jew and Gentile alike.
Jesus
is the door to the kingdom of heaven
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). God sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to open the way for us to have full access to the throne of God's grace (favor and blessing) and mercy (pardon for our sins). Through Jesus' victory on the cross he has freed us from slavery to sin and hurtful desires and addictions, and he has made us sons and daughters of God and citizens of his heavenly kingdom. We are free now to choose which kingdom we will serve - the kingdom of truth and light ruled by God's wisdom or the kingdom of falsehood and darkness ruled by Satan and the world system or society of people who are opposed to God and his laws.
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). God sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to open the way for us to have full access to the throne of God's grace (favor and blessing) and mercy (pardon for our sins). Through Jesus' victory on the cross he has freed us from slavery to sin and hurtful desires and addictions, and he has made us sons and daughters of God and citizens of his heavenly kingdom. We are free now to choose which kingdom we will serve - the kingdom of truth and light ruled by God's wisdom or the kingdom of falsehood and darkness ruled by Satan and the world system or society of people who are opposed to God and his laws.
Following
the Lord requires effort and commitment on our part
If we want to enter God's kingdom and receive our full inheritance which is stored up for us in heaven, then we must follow the Lord Jesus in his way of the cross through a willing renunciation of our own will for his will - our own life for his life - our own way for his way.
If we want to enter God's kingdom and receive our full inheritance which is stored up for us in heaven, then we must follow the Lord Jesus in his way of the cross through a willing renunciation of our own will for his will - our own life for his life - our own way for his way.
Why
did Jesus say we must strive to enter his kingdom of
righteousness and peace? The word strive can also be
translated as agony. To enter the kingdom of God we must struggle
against every force or power of opposition - even the temptation to remain
indifferent, apathetic, or compromising in our faith and personal trust in
Jesus, our hope in holding firm to the promises of Jesus, and our
uncompromising love for God above all else. Paul the Apostle reminds us that
our hope in God does not disappoint us because "God's love has been poured
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans
5:5).
The
Lord is with us to strengthen us in our trials and struggles
The Lord reminds us that when we face difficulties, trials, temptations, and even failures, we do not struggle alone. He knows our weaknesses even better than we know them, and he is always ready to help us in our struggle to overcome sin and wrong-doing. God's 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?
The Lord reminds us that when we face difficulties, trials, temptations, and even failures, we do not struggle alone. He knows our weaknesses even better than we know them, and he is always ready to help us in our struggle to overcome sin and wrong-doing. God's 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, may I never doubt your guiding presence and your tender love and mercy
towards me. Through the gift of your Spirit fill me with persevering faith and
courage to trust you always in all things and in every circumstance I
find myself in. May your love set my heart aflame with love for You who are my
All."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: To enter the narrow door, by Cyril
of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"'Wide
is the door, and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.' What are
we to understand by its broadness? ...A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke
of the law [the commandments of God]. This life is cursed and relaxed in all
carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the
sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of
earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must
withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with
him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 99)
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Isaiah 66:18-21
Last week our Old Testament reading was from the Book of Jeremiah. This week we back up some 90 years in history to the year 694 B.C. and hear from the greatest of the prophets, Isaiah. Little is known about Isaiah as all our information comes from his discourses. According to Jewish tradition, he was of royal stock and it is certain that he belonged to the tribe of Judah and lived in Jerusalem. He was married and had two sons. He did not claim to be a prophet in the current sense of the word, but, like many other prophets, he gathered around him a circle of friends and disciples who shared his views and were initiated into his plans. Today we hear from the last chapter of the Book of Isaiah as he tells of a time when foreigners will be at home in God’s house.
18 I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.
This phrase is reminiscent of Isaiah 40:5. It could also refer to an object of pilgrimage in the temple.
19 I will set a sign among them;
The sign centers on the survival of Jerusalem, to become the object of the new exodus for the Jews of the dispersion and even for Gentiles.
from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish,
In southern Spain
Put and Lud,
In Africa
Mosoch,
Location unknown
Tubal
Near the Black Sea
and Javan,
Greek settlers in the Ionian Islands
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,
A sort of triumphal procession from all directions.
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.
It is not clear who the “some” are, but Gentiles are included in the previous verse. This is seen by many as a prophecy that someday the priesthood will not be solely Levitical but will also include Gentiles.
2nd Reading - Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Having heard two weeks ago about the faith of Abraham, a faith of hope and trust – an example of the theological faith that we all should have, last week we began to hear how we are to live out that faith. Our second reading last week ended “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.” Today we continue this lesson.
5 You have [ ] forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
The quotation is quoted from Proverbs 3:11-12.
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
Positive and negative reinforcement
or lose heart when reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges
Whips
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.
As you will recall, last week the imagery was that of a race, the imagery now changes from a race course to the familiar one of the road on which the people of God must journey.
Gospel - Luke 13:22-30
Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem and His passion. Along the way He taught with parables, performed miracles and preached repentance. This preaching and teaching, accompanied by miracles, caught the attention of those He came in contact with: the Pharisees became indignant because He healed people on the Sabbath, but others heard the clear message of repentance and wished to know that they must do to be saved.
22 He [Jesus] 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?”
Being “saved” is not a Protestant idea; they took it from the Catholics. Being saved in Catholic theology is the end result – seeing God face-to-face in heaven. It begins with faith and is the result of how that faith is lived out. One cannot “earn” their way into heaven, that is the Pelagian heresy condemned by the Council of Carthage in A.D. 418, but one is required to allow God to work in their life and that work is reflected in their actions.
He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter
This denotes strenuous exercise of muscle and power.
through the narrow gate,
The implied contrast is between large city gates through which throngs can pass at one time, and one where everything is in single file.
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
Jesus is not declaring that many are doomed from the very start, despite their persistent effort to be saved (which would be predestination in the Presbyterian sense).
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.’
Many will seek entry too late, after the Kingdom has come; each one can and must strive now. Jesus must first recognize and love, and thus impart justifying faith. (See Isaiah 63:16; Matthew 25:12).
26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Casual eating and drinking with Jesus is not enough; one must share in his life, as symbolized by His table fellowship with the lowly. One cannot simply boast that they are acquainted with Him and His message.
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.
The Kingdom of God is now imaged by the eschatological banquet [the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 21)]. Those who do not want to commit themselves to Jesus’ way find themselves on the outside. In graciousness God opens the banquet to all peoples. These now form the reconstituted Israel in the New Jerusalem.
30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Luke sounds his familiar theme of reversal – those who truly serve others by living out
God’s message and their faith, will be served at the heavenly banquet
Notice that our gospel reading for today does not assure salvation for all those who believe; and who receives it is not known until they appear at the door to the banquet. This is why, when asked “Have you been saved?” we can answer: “I have been saved from the penalty of sin by Christ’s death and resurrection. I am being saved from the power of sin by the indwelling Spirit. I have the hope that I shall one day be saved from the very presence of sin when I go to be with God.” It is through the grace of Christ that I am able to live out His life in me; a grace that is fortified every time I participate in the Eucharist.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Isaiah 66:18-21
Last week our Old Testament reading was from the Book of Jeremiah. This week we back up some 90 years in history to the year 694 B.C. and hear from the greatest of the prophets, Isaiah. Little is known about Isaiah as all our information comes from his discourses. According to Jewish tradition, he was of royal stock and it is certain that he belonged to the tribe of Judah and lived in Jerusalem. He was married and had two sons. He did not claim to be a prophet in the current sense of the word, but, like many other prophets, he gathered around him a circle of friends and disciples who shared his views and were initiated into his plans. Today we hear from the last chapter of the Book of Isaiah as he tells of a time when foreigners will be at home in God’s house.
18 I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.
This phrase is reminiscent of Isaiah 40:5. It could also refer to an object of pilgrimage in the temple.
19 I will set a sign among them;
The sign centers on the survival of Jerusalem, to become the object of the new exodus for the Jews of the dispersion and even for Gentiles.
from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish,
In southern Spain
Put and Lud,
In Africa
Mosoch,
Location unknown
Tubal
Near the Black Sea
and Javan,
Greek settlers in the Ionian Islands
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,
A sort of triumphal procession from all directions.
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.
It is not clear who the “some” are, but Gentiles are included in the previous verse. This is seen by many as a prophecy that someday the priesthood will not be solely Levitical but will also include Gentiles.
2nd Reading - Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Having heard two weeks ago about the faith of Abraham, a faith of hope and trust – an example of the theological faith that we all should have, last week we began to hear how we are to live out that faith. Our second reading last week ended “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.” Today we continue this lesson.
5 You have [ ] forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
The quotation is quoted from Proverbs 3:11-12.
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
Positive and negative reinforcement
or lose heart when reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges
Whips
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.
As you will recall, last week the imagery was that of a race, the imagery now changes from a race course to the familiar one of the road on which the people of God must journey.
Gospel - Luke 13:22-30
Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem and His passion. Along the way He taught with parables, performed miracles and preached repentance. This preaching and teaching, accompanied by miracles, caught the attention of those He came in contact with: the Pharisees became indignant because He healed people on the Sabbath, but others heard the clear message of repentance and wished to know that they must do to be saved.
22 He [Jesus] 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?”
Being “saved” is not a Protestant idea; they took it from the Catholics. Being saved in Catholic theology is the end result – seeing God face-to-face in heaven. It begins with faith and is the result of how that faith is lived out. One cannot “earn” their way into heaven, that is the Pelagian heresy condemned by the Council of Carthage in A.D. 418, but one is required to allow God to work in their life and that work is reflected in their actions.
He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter
This denotes strenuous exercise of muscle and power.
through the narrow gate,
The implied contrast is between large city gates through which throngs can pass at one time, and one where everything is in single file.
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
Jesus is not declaring that many are doomed from the very start, despite their persistent effort to be saved (which would be predestination in the Presbyterian sense).
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.’
Many will seek entry too late, after the Kingdom has come; each one can and must strive now. Jesus must first recognize and love, and thus impart justifying faith. (See Isaiah 63:16; Matthew 25:12).
26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Casual eating and drinking with Jesus is not enough; one must share in his life, as symbolized by His table fellowship with the lowly. One cannot simply boast that they are acquainted with Him and His message.
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.
The Kingdom of God is now imaged by the eschatological banquet [the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 21)]. Those who do not want to commit themselves to Jesus’ way find themselves on the outside. In graciousness God opens the banquet to all peoples. These now form the reconstituted Israel in the New Jerusalem.
30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Luke sounds his familiar theme of reversal – those who truly serve others by living out
God’s message and their faith, will be served at the heavenly banquet
Notice that our gospel reading for today does not assure salvation for all those who believe; and who receives it is not known until they appear at the door to the banquet. This is why, when asked “Have you been saved?” we can answer: “I have been saved from the penalty of sin by Christ’s death and resurrection. I am being saved from the power of sin by the indwelling Spirit. I have the hope that I shall one day be saved from the very presence of sin when I go to be with God.” It is through the grace of Christ that I am able to live out His life in me; a grace that is fortified every time I participate in the Eucharist.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, LUKE 13:22-30
(Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalm 117; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 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).
TO KNOW: 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 the 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 (the Jews,), others would take their place (the Gentiles). They would come from the four corners of the earth to share the banquet in God's eternal reign.
TO LOVE: Have I repented of my sins so that Jesus will welcome me into his kingdom?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be converted daily to do your will.
Sunday 25 August 2019
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Isaiah 66:18-21. Psalm 116(117). Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13. Luke
13:22-30.
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News – Psalm 116(117).
‘People from east and west, north and south, will come to take
their place at the feast in the kingdom.’
Today’s readings call us out of our spiritual lethargy. They remind
us that to follow Jesus means more than being a Christian in name only. We are
warned against complacency.
The prophet Isaiah tells us that God will come to gather all
peoples. We do not have any prior claim just because we say we belong to
Christ’s church. Belonging calls for commitment to Jesus and involvement in his
mission. However, before we can go out to preach the Good News we must have
received it into our own hearts. Mere listening to the message is not enough:
our hearts need to be touched and our lives affected.
Lord, help us to be responsive to this call. Open our ears to
receive the Good News that you offer us afresh each day, and open our eyes to
your presence. Give me an attentive heart.
Saint Louis IX of France
Saint of the Day for August 25
(April 25, 1214 – August 25, 1270)
 |
| HDR photo of the Apotheosis of St. Louis | Sculpture by C.H. Niehaus |
Saint Louis of France’s Story
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.
Louis “took the cross” for a Crusade when he was 30. His army
seized Damietta in 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.
Louis 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 Saint Francis, 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 56. He was canonized 27 years later.
Reflection
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.
Saint Louis of France is the Patron Saint of:
Barbers
Grooms
Secular Franciscan Order
Grooms
Secular Franciscan Order
Lectio
Divina: 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, August 25, 2019
The narrow door and the call of the gentiles
Luke 13:22-30
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 savor 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:
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."
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” (Edith 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 also involves the
disciple and the reader of the Gospel: going on “the journey” of Jesus makes us
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, a “try”, which points to an attitude to be assumed: “to enter by the narrow
door”. This image recalls in the mind of the disciples, and in Luke’s
community, for 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 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 who now are 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 emphasizes the
co-responsibility of men and women, the reality 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 molded 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 baggage 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!
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 His face to us. The Word of God unveils that hidden face
in every page of sacred scripture. Suffice it to look 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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