Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13, 22-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
Everything is achieved through effort
1. Narrow. Your life is shaped by boundaries, for example those limits that your mom or dad set for you at the time. You learn that there are “yeses” and “noes”; that you are building your life with what you achieve and what you fail at. But there comes a moment in your own life when only you make the decisions, when you assume the responsibilities of your own life, and you feel the weight of the choices you make. Narrowness implies effort. It’s knowing how to take responsibility for what you’ve decided or taken upon yourself. It’s recognizing the mistakes you’ve made and the great things you’ve accomplished, without blaming anyone else for what has happened to you, because you’re the protagonist of your life. I know there are moments that are difficult for you; that happens to all of us. There are even times when you and I feel like giving up on everything but remember that there is a fruit that everyone will enjoy. Keep going until the end; don’t stop halfway.
2. ‘I do not know where you are from’. There are times when we reduce life or religion to morality or certain isolated points, and it’s much more than that. Sometimes we feel superior to others because we belong to a certain group, a certain parish, or because you are a manager or a boss or whatever. In life, everything is a continuous struggle day by day; a new day means a new struggle. Don’t stop and don’t fall asleep; it’s your life, and it can be gone at any moment.
3. Will come. The search for happiness is something we all share. Today, God reminds you that what you have is enough to make you happy, but of course, it’s like a puzzle. You must know how to put in order the things you have in your life to know when and where to apply them and how to find them. You are fortunate because what you seek outside is deep inside you. You have everything, but sometimes you believe you have nothing. Strive on, because your own life needs you.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
