21st SUNDAY, 21 AUGUST 2022, IS 66. 18-21; HEB 12. 5-7, 11-13; LUKE 13. 22-30
Thrust: I do not know you!
Indicative: All our great capacities or activities will fall short if we do not enter the narrow door of God’s will and ways
1. “I do not know you! Depart from me!” Shocking and frightening words of Jesus in the gospel. The God who said, “I knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb” (Jer 5. 1); He who said, “I know you by your name” (Is 43. 1); He who said, “I have written your names in the palm of my hands” (Is 49. 16). The same Lord says to us now, “I do not know you”.
2. Not only that. The Lord who invites us always, “Come unto me” all those who are heavily burdened (Mt 11. 28); the Lord who constantly so mercifully calls us to repentance, saying, “Repent, turn, return and live”; the Lord who presents the Father as an eagerly waiting father for the return of the prodigal son, is now pronouncing, “Depart from me!”
3. Why? The reason is quite clear: “Workers of evil!” Yes, these ate and drank with the Lord. They listened to him in their streets. But these things did not count because they did evil. This is a clear indicator and caution for all of us as well.
4. Our various Eucharistic celebrations where we eat and drink the body and blood of the Lord himself, and our various other church celebrations where we sit together and eat and drink will be of no use if we continue to be workers of evil. Our many occasions of reading or listening or preaching the word of God will not win God’s favour if we continue to do evil.
5. What to do then? Enter through the narrow door. What does it mean? Do not seek shortcuts or easy means. Do not seek convenience or compromise. Understand the love of the Lord. Understand the value and role of discipline in our life.
6. Understand that God disciplines His children whom He loves. Allow God to discipline us. Be enduring even though for the moment all discipline seems painful and unpleasant. Be sure that it yields later the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, as the Lord exhorts us, “Lift your drooping hands. Strengthen your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet. And heal what is lame and dislocated”.
Imperative: We shall be clear that we cannot please God merely with our wonderful celebrations or spiritual activities. They should lead us to be workers of good
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: Our destiny is to enter the reign of God, to be in eternal communion with Him, to celebrate life with Him. But how to enter there? What will qualify us to enter the reign of God?
1. Hear what the Lord says in the gospel: “Many will say, ‘we ate and drank with you, we listened to you teaching us’. But I will respond, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you evildoers”. What does this mean?
2. In the first place, just celebrating some occasions of eating and drinking together, or some occasions of listening to the teachings of the Lord, will not merit anyone to enter the kingdom. These are good but not enough. These may be matters of convenience, which do not demand much. But what the Lord expects is sacrifice and commitment. In other words, this is entering through the narrow door.
3. Many times many try to enter through the broad door, and not through the narrow door. That is, many prefer to do what is convenient, what does not demand much from them, and not what is difficult and committing. We can examine some simple details:
4. It may be convenient to eat and drink together in partying, but is more difficult to participate in the Eucharistic meal. It may be convenient to listen to the Lord’s teachings but is more difficult to put them into practice. It is convenient to participate in a function that is organized but is more difficult to work towards organizing it.
5. It is convenient to spend time happily in a shallow chatting and yapping, but is more difficult to allot some time to speak about God and good things. It is convenient to divert oneself to worthless things but is more difficult to concentrate on worthwhile things.
6. It is convenient to take a dog for a daily walk or go to the gym or shopping mall but is more difficult to walk to God’s place even once a week. It is convenient to find space and time for some relaxation and diversion but is more difficult to find even a little moment for a little reflection.
7. It is convenient to spend money on what is for pleasure but is difficult to give away a little money for what is good for others. It is convenient to participate in some holy activities but is difficult to become holy. It is convenient to run here and there, day and night even for family obligations or work demands but is difficult to care for the duties towards God.
8. It is convenient to do some charity once in a while but is difficult to be charitable in everyday life. It is convenient to sing beautifully God’s praises but is difficult to restrain criticism and slander. It is still convenient to attend holy mass as a holy tradition but is difficult to live daily that spirit of the holy mass in unity, humility, sacrifice, and love.
Direction: Let us try to be a little more genuine, loyal, and credible, and not shallow and contradicting!
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 27 OCTOBER)
Focus: There are no absolute guarantees that assure us of entering into the kingdom of God. There are no firsts and lasts. It is not a matter of the length of the tradition or allegiance to the religion. It is the depth of devotion and adherence to the Lord
1. Who will be saved? How many will be saved? How to enter the kingdom of God? These are always interesting and intriguing questions. To a query by someone, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”, Jesus addresses these issues. First of all, entering the kingdom of God is not a matter of merely participating in some common religious activities like common meals or common talks. It is a matter of an entire life. It is a consistent walking toward the heavenly Jerusalem. It calls us to enter by the narrow door.
2. What does entering by the narrow door signify? It means not to be men of iniquity. It means that we are not satisfied merely with some common programs. It is to be more and more conformed to the image of Christ. It is to love God in tune with our call and purpose. It is to allow God to justify and glorify ourselves by a life that is just and renders glory to God.
3. Certainly, walking by the narrow door is difficult. By ourselves we are weak. We do not know even how to pray. That is why God Himself comes to our support. For in everything God works for good with those who love Him. The Spirit will help us in our weakness. The Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. He intercedes according to the will of God.
4. Therefore, we can enter the kingdom of God only when entering through the narrow door. This prompts us to really struggle to fit ourselves to push through the narrow door. God does not want us to go through easy and compromising ways, broad and devouring doors. We also need the humility to realize that it is not the merit of our activities or organizational capacities. It is to walk through the narrow door and constantly knock at the door of the Lord to enter inside.
Direction: Are we also among those who begin to stand outside and knock at the door of the master? How can I close my heart to God’s voice and command and go on pleading, “Lord oven to us!”
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