Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

We all know that we need to be ready for Jesus' coming, but how exactly do we prepare for something like that.  It's not the same as preparing for a camping trip or preparing for a presentation at school or work.  We most properly prepare by coming to know Jesus better, and by coming to know Him better, we grow in holiness as St. Paul talks about in the first reading.  Had the foolish virgins in the Gospel known the bridegroom better (had they focused on growing in holiness) they would have been better prepared.  Instead they are struggling at the last minute.  May we be better prepared.

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist, Pray for us.

This photo is of the altar at the place of St. John's birth in "the hill country" outside of Jerusalem.  This is where it all began!

Homily for Sunday, August 25

Readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

There was once a young Catholic man who was walking along a city street. He went to Mass every Sunday and said his prayers every night. But while he was faithful and not at all ashamed of his faith, he didn’t really feel comfortable talking to others about it. He didn’t feel qualified to answer questions about Catholicism if people asked and if anyone challenged him on something, he didn’t know how to respond. So he didn’t normally talk much about it. He did, however, wear a simple cross on a chain around his neck.

As I was saying, he was walking along the street when he happened along a barbershop. Realizing that he could use a haircut and seeing that the shop had no costumers, he stepped inside. As he sat down in one of the chairs and the barber put the cape to cover his clothes, the barber noticed his cross.

“Oh! Are you a Christian?” he asked. The young man didn’t want to get into a big discussion of course, but he wasn’t about to lie either. “Yes. I’m Catholic”, he said. “Oh,” the barber said, and he began getting to work on the man’s hair. The young man thought he had dodged a bullet on the whole religious topic, but then the barber brought it up again. “Since you’re Christian, I wanted to ask you what you thought about something. See, I don’t think that God exists.” The young man didn’t know what to say about this, so he simply looked at the reflection of the barber in the mirror. The barber continued, “I can step outside my shop here and I can look to my left and look to my right, at people going up and down the street, and I can see many people who are sad and lonely and are sick or hurt. If there really is a God, why does He allow such bad things to happen? Why doesn’t He come down and make all these things right?” The young man knew that this was ridiculous. Of course God exists! But as he sat there, he couldn’t think of an explanation. He simply shrugged his shoulders and looked away. “I’ve asked that to many different Christians who have come into my shop”, the barber said. “None of them have been able to answer me. I don’t think God exists.”

The barber finished up his work. When he was done, the young man got up, paid him and walked out the door without saying another word. Outside the shop, he stopped and thought awhile. He looked to his left and then he looked to his right and thought some more. Then he turned on his heels and walked back into the shop. The barber looked up from sweeping, surprised to see the young man returning. “You know what?” the young man said, “I have something I want to talk to you about. I don’t think barbers exist”. “What do you mean we don’t exist?!” the barber exclaimed. “I’m standing right here!” The young man replied, “But I can walk outside your shop and I can look to my left and look to my right, at people going up and down the street, and I can see many people who have long shaggy hair and men in desperate need of a shave. If there really are barbers, why don’t they make sure all these people have a nice haircut and clean shave?” “But this is ridiculous!” the barber said. “I can’t just go out and force everyone to have a haircut. They have to come to me first and ask me to help them!” “Exactly!” said the young man. And then he walked back out.

I bring up this story, because I think for many people the Gospel today about the narrow gate is problematic. Many Christians have adopted this popular idea that God is going to let everybody into Heaven, no matter what they may have said or done after acknowledging who God is. So when we have Jesus saying that many will try to enter but will not be strong enough and that they will outside, knocking at the door, but God won’t let them in, it’s a hard pill for us to swallow. Much like the atheist barber from the story I just told, we wonder, “Hey! If God is all powerful and all loving, why doesn’t He do something about this? Why doesn’t He just make everything alright?

The real problem is not that God isn’t doing His job or is actively working against us. The real problem is that we don’t always respond to His invitation. God is able to invite us: He invites us to enter through the narrow gate, He invites us to turn to Him when we need His help; but unless we respond to that invitation, there is literally nothing else that God can do. He cannot force Himself into our lives, even if it would be for our benefit.

Not long after we made the switch to the new translation of the Roman Missal a woman told me that she was bothered by one of the changes. You may recall that during the words of consecration with the chalice the words were changed from “It will be shed for you and for all” to “It will be poured out for you and for many”. The woman’s point was clear: didn’t Christ shed His blood for everybody? Yes He did. But not everybody is going to respond to that offer of salvation. The new translation more closely matches what Jesus said in Scripture. Jesus wasn’t trying to deny that everyone will be offered salvation; everyone will be offered salvation. The sad reality is that some won’t accept it, but many will.

It is important that we understand that God is not in this to deny people access to Heaven. Nor is the Church trying to do anything of the sort. He is not up in Heaven watching us saying, “Oh you just missed it! If you would have said one more rosary you would have made it”. He wants as many people as possible to make it. Let’s look a little closer at the way the conversation in the Gospel goes. Someone asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Notice the Jesus never directly confirms nor denies that statement. First He points out that many will try to enter but will be left outside the locked door. Again these are not some poor souls that are being held back by God. These are people who chose other things above God and were not working that hard at serving God. Now they’re scrambling to get in. Then Jesus goes on to talk about how “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.” Compare this to what we heard from the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. “I come to gather nations of every language”, and “they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.” Those four directions that Jesus lists represent where all those nations that Isaiah talks about are coming from. God isn’t looking for a small group of a few people to come be with Him in Heaven. He wants great many people to come; as many as He can get!

Do not be afraid, brothers and sisters, that God is forsaking us and leaving us high and dry. He wants us with Him and He wants to help us. Respond to His invitation, ask for His help. Let us strive for that narrow gate!

Okay Lord!  I'm been feeling a tug to start a blog and I'm hoping that it is from you.  I want to have the opportunity to reach more people than Facebook will really allow.  Oh Lord, help me so that this blog might be for your greater glory and not just for my own ego.  Send your Blessed Mother to watch over me and to intercede for me as well.  May your name be ever praised!  AMEN!