Mass Readings

First reading	Isaiah 66:18 - 21 ©
I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord they will bring all your brothers, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on dromedaries, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing oblations in clean vessels to the Temple of the Lord. And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.

First reading

Isaiah 66:18 - 21 ©

I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord they will bring all your brothers, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on dromedaries, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing oblations in clean vessels to the Temple of the Lord. And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.

Psalm or canticle	Psalm 116 (117)
Praise of the merciful Lord
Praise the Lord, all nations; all peoples, praise him. For his mercy is strong over us and his faithfulness is for ever.

Second reading	Hebrews 12:5 - 13 ©
Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.

Second reading

Hebrews 12:5 - 13 ©

Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.

Gospel	Luke 13:22 - 30 ©
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.’

Gospel

Luke 13:22 - 30 ©

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.’

Why the Gate Is Narrow

Fr. Jerome Magat

Other Articles by Fr. Jerome Magat
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Why the Gate Is Narrow

August 24, 2007

As He makes His way to Jerusalem, Jesus is asked, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Jesus' reply is startling. He says that although many will attempt to enter (heaven) through the narrow gate, they will not be strong enough. He goes on to explain that many people will claim to be friends of God and will want to enter heavenly glory when they die but will be denied. This exclusion will cause much anguish in those who claim to have been close to God but will be found unworthy to enter heaven.

Why does Jesus give the impression that the attainment of heavenly glory is difficult? After all, doesn't God desire all men to be saved? While we believe that God desires all men to be saved, we often forget that salvation is realized according to God's terms and not merely what we interpret God's terms to be on our own. In other words, just because you may claim to love God, that doesn't necessarily mean that you love Him as He desires or expects.

This Gospel passage reminds us not to presume that all who claim friendship with God are in fact His friends. Jesus tells us that some will say, "We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets," as if to assert that the mere claim of friendship with Jesus should be enough for one to be saved. Later, Jesus will remind us, "If you love me, keep my commandments." This means that part of being found worthy of heavenly glory, involves the actualization of our potential, given to us at baptism, to believe, trust and love God as He desires.

At times, individuals will confidently assert that they believe that they will go to heaven because they are nice people, even if they may be living in mortal sin. In their own estimation, they are worthy of heaven, even if by God's standards they are far from the kingdom. Jesus reminds us that such people will be quite surprised when they are left out of heavenly glory. To the surprise of these same people, there may be some who may enter into heavenly glory — the unassuming person, the unworldly individual, or those who were considered outcasts and unimportant in this life. Such people may have a better chance of realizing salvation than those who presume upon a favorable judgment from God at death.

This, at last, is why the gate is narrow. Believing in God, trusting Him and loving Him as He deserves and expects is the project of a lifetime. Stripping away our preconceived notions about what it means to love God and submitting our intellect and will to the mind of the Church, the bride of Christ, requires humility. It is the humble soul that never presumes that one can claim heaven on one's own terms. Rather, it is the humble spirit who is totally dependent on the gatekeeper and the gate, who is Christ Himself, who will enter the kingdom of heaven. The humble spirit is disposed to obeying God in all things, loving Him on His terms.