Jesus Invites Everyone to Enter the Kingdom of God

08-21-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

First Reading Isaiah 66:18-21, Second Reading Hebrew 12:5-7, 11-13, Gospel Luke 13:22-30

The three readings of today are connected in a very special way. In the first reading the Prophet Isaiah says “thus says the Lord, I come to gather nations of every language and they will come to see my glory.” This means everyone is called to see the glory of God. We all are called to see God’s glory.

God gives each of us an open invitation to witness His love and see His face and no one is excluded. The Letter to the Hebrews in the second reading is a call never to be disheartened by the discipline that comes from the Lord. In a word, some sufferings, challenges that confront us can be a way of training us to be fit for what God wants us to be. When faced with such moments let us not quit or be discouraged in life.

In the gospel, Jesus invites everyone to enter the Kingdom of heaven. No one is excluded either by class, race, or color. The same theme of open invitation seen in the first reading is repeated in the Gospel. But in this case, there is one condition that is given, and it is to strive to enter through the narrow door.

The narrow door is meant to show that to enter the kingdom of God is a lifelong struggle. “The door is not locked, it is open for everyone, but requires us as disciples to give up self-indulgent ways, to go into a spiritual training program that will slim us down and enable us to pass through this door into the kingdom of God”. It is something we have to keep doing without giving up. It is consistency in doing good always. It is the ability to endure trials and difficulties that come our way as Christians. This ability to endure trials in the name of Christ is a sign that we are open to accept God’s will for our lives.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us never give up on ourselves because God has not finished His work on us. Let us never give up on what God can do in our lives. Let us never say that God has abandoned us. Let us continue to struggle to do our best because it is through such struggles that we can make heaven and that is the meaning of entering by the narrow door.

I wish you all a blessed Sunday.

Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.

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