21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
First Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21
Thus says the LORD: I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the LORD in clean vessels. Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13
Brothers and sisters, you have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.
Gospel Reading: 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."
Reflection: Fr. Sahaya G Selvam
In the gospel, Luke presents Jesus as a demanding teacher. This portrayal of Jesus is very unlike Luke. For instance, Matthew uses the phrase “grinding of teeth” or “gnash their teeth”, five times in his Gospel, whereas Luke uses it only once. And that happens to be in the gospel text of today. Let us focus on the “narrow door” – the image that seems to demand something from us as disciples of Jesus.
The gospel of today simply invites us to “welcome the kingdom of God like a little child” – to enter through the narrow door we have to make ourselves like little children. To go in to narrow doors, it is not that we have to be small, but sometimes we have to squeeze ourselves in – particularly if we make ourselves big! Let us be challenged by the Word of God today, and be strengthened by the Eucharist, to be able to enter through the narrow door, so that we have life – eternal life!
The gospel of today simply invites us to “welcome the kingdom of God like a little child” – to enter through the narrow door we have to make ourselves like little children. To go in to narrow doors, it is not that we have to be small, but sometimes we have to squeeze ourselves in – particularly if we make ourselves big! Let us be challenged by the Word of God today, and be strengthened by the Eucharist, to be able to enter through the narrow door, so that we have life – eternal life!
