Action; Not Just Words

Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few 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.'"

A reflection from Father Tudgay for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You and I can be easily frustrated by people who display some hypocrisy now and then. Maybe we’ve been guilty of it at some point. This Gospel passage clearly draws us into the demands of discipleship, particularly in the areas where we are invited to - demanded to – invoke mercy toward one another. Love, as it is demonstrated by Jesus Christ, always retains its sacrificial element. 

So, when we are tempted to judge one another or respond to the inevitability of human imperfection with condemnation, this Gospel passage this weekend is meant for those moments. The narrow gate that Jesus names can be described as a closeness to him in prayer and in fidelity. The fruit of this prayer and fidelity is found in an abiding relationship that always allows the integrity of our faith to shine in mercy and in justice. 

 We are not always at our best every moment of every day. We’re human. We get tired or there are things that weigh us down. In those moments, especially where we are tempted to withhold compassion or mercy, the invitation is to go deep with Christ, to receive his love and mercy, and to let the integrity of our faith shine forth in the selfless beauty of mercy and forgiveness.