First reading Romans 8:26-30
The Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words
The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.
We know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.
Responsorial Psalm 12(13):4-6
Lord, I trust in your mercy.
Look at me, answer me, Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death,
lest my enemy say: ‘I have overcome him’;
lest my foes rejoice to see my fall.
Lord, I trust in your mercy.
As for me, I trust in your merciful love.
Let my heart rejoice in your saving help.
Let me sing to the Lord for his goodness to me,
singing psalms to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
Lord, I trust in your mercy.
Gospel Luke 13:22-30
The last shall be first and the first last
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’
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Through the narrow door
In today’s gospel, someone asked Jesus, “Sir, will there be only a few saved?”. Interestingly, Jesus did not answer his question because He was not concerned with numbers. Instead, He spoke about what really matters, i.e. to enter by the narrow door. What is the meaning of the narrow door? The narrow door is the door of love for God and our brothers and sisters, especially the vulnerable ones in society. To love God leads us to love others. Pope Francis said, “At the end of our life, we will be judged on love, that is, on our concrete commitment to love and to serve Jesus in our smallest and most needy brothers” (Angelus, November 2017).
Are we then ready to enter into the narrow door of love and service? Are we committed to living the life of Jesus, which is a life for others? Today, Jesus calls us to follow Him and enter through the narrow door, where we will find joy and peace of being in union with God, here, now and forever.
Question for reflection:
What prevents me from entering through the narrow door?
What prevents me from entering through the narrow door?
