{"id":2946,"date":"2019-08-25T11:31:17","date_gmt":"2019-08-25T15:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2946"},"modified":"2019-08-25T11:31:17","modified_gmt":"2019-08-25T15:31:17","slug":"21st-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/21st-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily-3\/","title":{"rendered":"21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

21<\/a>st<\/a><\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C<\/a>
Isaiah 66:18-21
Psalm 117:1, 2 (Mark 6:15)
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Luke 13:22-30
August 25, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus is asked, \u201cLord, will only a few people be saved?<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken at face value, the question\nmight be interpreted as simply asking how many people are in Heaven?  Conversely, one might ask, \u201cdoes anyone\nreally end up in Hell?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people today think that because\nGod is merciful, everyone gets into Heaven. \nAfter all, our psalm and first reading today both refer to \u201call<\/em>\u201d, even those from \u201cdistant coastlands<\/em>\u201d getting in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is our hope but, unfortunately,\nI think it leads some people to take God and his mercy for granted.  Behind this is the thought that if everyone\ngets into Heaven, then they can do whatever they want, good or bad, and still\nget in.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might be as simple as thinking\nthat we don\u2019t have to worry about going to church every week because God doesn\u2019t\ncare if we are there all the time.  It\nmight lead some to think that it is okay to sin and just seek God\u2019s mercy after\nthat.  If you feel that way, you might\nask yourself, how do you feel when someone knowingly does something that wrongs\nyou and assumes you will forgive them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a positive note, our Church does\nteach that we know at least some people have already been welcomed into Heaven.\n We call them saints.  I will be talking about the saints in a short\nseries of presentations starting in a couple of weeks.  You can read more about those presentations in\nthe bulletin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is Jesus\u2019 response to the\nperson asking, \u201cLord, will only a few\npeople be saved<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus does NOT say everyone gets into\nHeaven.  Nor does He say most people get\ninto Heaven.  Actually, He never\nspecifies any kind of number.  He does\nindicate that some do not when He says that some will seem themselves \u201ccast out.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus says, \u201cStrive<\/em><\/strong> to enter through the narrow gate, for many,\nI tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough to enter.<\/em>\u201d  Jesus clearly says not everyone can get into\nHeaven, at least they won\u2019t get in on\ntheir own<\/strong>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does it take to get in?  Based on Jesus\u2019 discussion, it is not enough\njust to show up in prayer once in a while. \nTo those who say, \u201cWe ate and\ndrank in your company and you taught in our streets<\/em>,\u201d and thought that was\nenough, Jesus says, \u201cI do not know where\nyou are from<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This might be pretty scary to\nhear.  One might fear that they might be\none of those people who just shows up once in a while.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that, as we read in\nIsaiah, the Lord says, \u201cI know their\nworks and their thoughts.<\/em>\u201d  God knows\nwhen we are sincerely trying as He knows our thoughts.  It also means He knows when we are not\nsincere in our efforts to follow him.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to \u201cstrive<\/em>\u201d to follow him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I emphasis \u201cstrive\u201d as it is what\nJesus himself says because He knows we are not perfect in the sense of always following\nhim.  He knows our weaknesses.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot save ourselves but Jesus can save us.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We call it the Crucifixion.  We think of all the suffering Jesus endured\nduring his Passion.  He did not endure\nhis Passion for himself.  He did it for\nus.  His willingly handed over his life\non the Cross so that our sins might be forgiven.  His willingness to do this flows from his\nabsolute love for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to embrace the Lord\u2019s love,\nthe love of the Cross, and the love of which Hebrews speaks of as \u201cdiscipline<\/em>.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discipline\u2026. when we hear the word, I\nimagine that a number of people are thinking of \u201cpunishment.\u201d  By punishment, some might think of physical\npunishment, maybe even abuse.  That is\nnot the way the Lord treats us when we sin against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He does discipline us just like our\nparents are supposed to.  A parent is\nnever to discipline out of hate or anger. \nTrue discipline is an act of love. \nHear the words from Hebrews, \u201cfor\nwho the Lord loves, he disciplines<\/em>\u201d and \u201cfor what \u201cson\u201d is there whom his father does not discipline.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we are young, true discipline\nfrom our parents happens because they love us and want us to learn to be good\npeople.  This means teaching us right and\nwrong.  To do so requires\nconsequences.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as our parents teaching is to be\nrooted in love, so too is Jesus\u2019 teaching rooted in his love for us.  Jesus did not simply come, die on the Cross\nfor our sins, and be gone.  No, He first\nspent time teaching what it means to follow him, what it means to follow the\nCommandments.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, on the Cross He took the punishment\nfor our sins on himself.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus wants everyone, Jesus wants you to be in Heaven.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to his teaching.  Strive to follow it.  When you fall short, confess your sins in the\nSacrament of Reconciliation.  When you do\nall this, God will give you the gift of salvation and welcome you into Heaven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CIsaiah 66:18-21Psalm 117:1, 2 (Mark 6:15)Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13Luke 13:22-30August 25, 2019 Jesus is asked, \u201cLord, will only a few people be saved?\u201d. Taken at face value, the question might be interpreted as simply asking how many people are in Heaven?  Conversely, one might ask, \u201cdoes anyone really end up …<\/p>\n

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