21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

My dear parishioners,

God is Good!!!  All the time!!!  And all the time!!!  God is Good!!!

Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem where his final fate awaits him. Jesus uses this extensive journey (Lk 9:51—19:27) to teach his disciples and others about the requirements for being a disciple and for entering the kingdom of God.

Wide view needed. An anonymous inquirer asks how many people will be saved. This is the numbers question that generally bespeaks a narrow mentality and a simplistic understanding of what it means to be a disciple. Jesus avoids the numbers and focuses his response on the narrow gate. Entry into the kingdom will require more than desire. It demands faith and discipline. It also requires total allegiance to Jesus. Not everyone has what it takes, and entrance is not automatic. This is exemplified by a master who locks a door with people outside clamoring to get in but having no credentials.

No one is entitled. The attitude of those who find themselves locked out is that they feel entitled to entrance based on casual acquaintance. They might have eaten in the same house where Jesus was eating or they caught a glimpse of him as he was teaching in their streets. But in no way can they make a claim to being attached to Jesus or committed to his teaching. Therefore, they are not about to be admitted to the kingdom of God, which is portrayed here as the grand eschatological banquet. These sayings are also aimed at those people who rejected Jesus and his message which in effect is equal to rejecting the divine plan of God.

Only faith counts. While those who should have accepted Jesus and his message often did not, many others did. People from all over the world accepted Jesus and his teaching; therefore, they find themselves present with him at the eschatological banquet reclining at the table in the kingdom of God.

This brings forth the theme of reversal which appears frequently in the Gospel. Those for whom all this was intended have rejected it and, therefore, are last. Others who for no logical reason but from faith and love have accepted Jesus and his message have ended up first. This is a serious message for all those who think that they are entitled to entrance into the kingdom of God.

Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved

 Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Aloysius