21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
The disciples asked “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Today is a hard Gospel teaching. Many people will have mixed feelings and emotions, but do not be dishearten.
I wonder why they asked Jesus this question? Maybe, it was because after spending so much time listening to Jesus’ teachings and then realising what he was asking them to do, many of them might have thought it would be too difficult and for others impossible to follow.
On their own, it would be very difficult, but with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, being at their side, anything is possible. We can all be saved. However, unfortunately, it is not under our own terms, there are rules and commandments to follow.
In this secular world of ours today, people are probably thinking all I need to do, to go to heaven, is to ‘be nice.’ … Just – ‘be nice’. However, the bible is not saying that. The bible is warning us. The Good news is that we can all be saved, and inherit eternal life. But the Bad news is that not everybody in the world is going down that path, that the Lord has given them, out of their own free will.
Jesus says to the disciples, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, many will try to enter and will not succeed.’ Jesus gives us today a very serious dose of reality. There are those who will make it, and those who will not.
Pope Francis explained during one of his Papal audience addresses, that the ‘narrow door’ is Jesus himself. He is he door, He is the gateway to Salvation. The ‘narrow door’ is made up of our responses of obedience to Jesus’ teachings. So, the easiest way to ensure salvation is to know what Jesus is teaching, and to put it into practice, in full trust and fidelity. To analyse our personal responses to his call, and see if our reply is good enough, if not, then we have work to do, to remedy the situation.
Life is such a wonderful gift of love from the Lord, so valuable. Being with Jesus forever in heaven is so precious, that there is nothing on earth that is worth sacrificing and taking a chance upon. Keep our gaze, our goal, firmly on our eternal reward.
So, let us today seek out the ‘narrow door’ with all our hearts. Let us obey Jesus’ commands and continue to proclaim the Good News to the world. Rooted in the Sacraments of the Church, may our hearts and minds be ready, focused on the ultimate goal of Eternal joy of Righteousness in the Glory of Heaven, with all the Angels and Saints, celebrating in one chorus of exultant praise in the Heavenly banquet of the Lord.
Eternal Paradise is ours if we truly want it, by following the Lord closely in Word and deed.
So, ‘enter by the narrow door, and recline at table, in the Kingdom of God.’
Rev. Fr Philip Wrigley's Blog 