LUKE 13:22-30
DURING THIS LAST WEEK WE
CELEBRATED THE FEAST OF THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY. TODAY WE HEAR JESUS
ANSWER THE QUESTION, “LORD, WILL ONLY A FEW PEOPLE BE SAVED?”
AND JESUS NEVER GIVES A YES OR NO ANSWER. INSTEAD, HE TELLS HIS
LISTENERS TO STRIVE TO ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE. SO WHAT IS HE
TALKING ABOUT? WHERE IS THE NARROW GATE? JESUS POINTS OUT THAT
THOSE WHO ATE AND DRANK WITH HIM AND THOSE WHO HEARD HIM PREACH HAVE
NO SPECIAL CLAIM ON BEING SAVED. AND JESUS IMPLIES THAT PEOPLE FROM
ALL OVER, NOT JUST JEWS, WOULD ENTER THE KINGDOM. SO IN A SENSE
JESUS IS ADDRESSING THE COMMON NOTION HELD AT THAT TIME THAT A JEWISH
PERSON HAD A SPECIAL CLAIM ON GOD BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS A
JEW. NOT AT ALL, JESUS SAYS. EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY.
WILL ONLY A FEW PEOPLE BE
SAVED? EVERY NOW AND THEN A POLL IS TAKEN, AND USUALLY ABOUT 90% OF
PEOPLE WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES RELIGIOUS BELIEVE THEY ARE GOING TO BE
SAVED. THE OTHER TEN PERCENT AREN'T SURE. PEOPLE WHO ARE RELIGIOUS
ALMOST NEVER BELIEVE THEY ARE GOING TO HELL. WE RELIGIOUS CHRISTIANS
HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED, WE GO TO CHURCH, IF WE DID SOMETHING TERRIBLE
WE'VE RECEIVED THE ASSURANCE IN THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE THAT WE'VE
BEEN FORGIVEN. SOME OF US RELIGIOUS PEOPLE VOLUNTEER AND SOME
SUPPORT A CHARITY OR TWO; AND MOST OF US RELIGIOUS PEOPLE TRY TO
TREAT OTHER PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS AND NOT COMMIT ADULTERY OR MURDER OR
ROBBERY. AND YOU KNOW, IT ISN'T HARD TO LIVE THAT WAY. IN FACT IT'S
PROBABLY EASIER TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE THAN TO GET INTO TROUBLE. SO
WHAT IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS, “STRIVE TO ENTER THE
NARROW GATE?” – WHEN HE IMPLIES THAT MANY WILL ATTEMPT TO ENTER
BUT NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH. MOST OF US RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A
HARD TIME DESCRIBING WHAT WE ARE DOING AS STRIVING, AS REQUIRING
STRENGTH.
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS
WHERE GOD'S WILL IS DONE. WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE WE ARE CONSTANTLY
TRYING TO DO OUR OWN WILL. AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING – NOTHING
WOULD EVER GET DONE IF WE DID NOT FIRST WILL IT TO BE DONE. SOME
PEOPLE WOULD DESPAIR OF EVER KNOWING GOD'S WILL; OTHERS SEEM TO THINK
THAT DOING GOD'S WILL MEANS NOT DOING YOUR OWN WILL. BUT THE TRUTH
OF THE MATTER IS THAT THIS IS PRECISELY WHERE THE STRIVING COMES IN –
WE HAVE TO SHAPE OUR OWN WILL SO THAT WE WANT WHAT GOD WANTS. AFTER
ALL, THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT JESUS SHOWED US IN HIS OWN LIFE – “MY
FOOD IS TO DO THE WILL OF MY FATHER.”
AND THAT OF COURSE IS
WHERE THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY COMES IN. WE ALL KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS IN
GENERAL – HE WANTS A WORLD WHERE THERE IS NO POVERTY, WHERE THERE
IS NO SICKNESS, WHERE THERE PEOPLE ARE FREE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. HE
WANTS WARS TO END, ABORTION TO STOP; HE IS AGAINST RACIAL AND
RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE – WE COULD MAKE A LONG LIST. YOU DON'T HAVE TO
BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS. SO DOES GOD WANT YOU
TO BE ANOTHER MOTHER THERESA? ANOTHER FRANCIS XAVIER, WHO PLANTED
CHRISTIANITY ALL OVER THE COAST OF SOUTHERN ASIA? NOT REALLY. THERE
WERE SAINTS WHO ACCOMPLISHED THINGS WHICH SEEM ALMOST MIRACULOUS;
SAINTS WHO LABORED TIRELESSLY TO MAKE THE WORLD A LITTLE MORE LIKE
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS SUPPOSED TO BE. BUT THE GREATEST SAINT OF
ALL, THE BLESSED MOTHER, GAVE BIRTH TO A CHILD, AND SPENT HER LIFE
TAKING CARE OF HIM AND SAINT JOSEPH, COOKING AND CLEANING AND
COMFORTING AND CARING – AND NO ONE WOULD KNOW SHE HAD EVEN EXISTED
WERE IT NOT FOR HER SON. AND FACE IT, WHAT MARY DID WITH HER LIFE IS
NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT BILLIONS OF WOMEN DOWN THROUGH THE AGES HAVE
DONE; AND THE SAME COULD BE SAID OF SAINT JOSEPH AND OF BILLIONS OF
MEN.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE, THE
REASON MARY IS QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, IS PRECISELY BECAUSE SHE
ENTERED THROUGH THE NARROW GATE. HER WHOLE LIFE WAS SUMMED UP IN HER
REPLY TO THE ANGEL, “BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD!”
AND WE HAVE HER GIVING A WORD OF ADVICE TO A FEW SERVANTS AT A
WEDDING, ADVICE THAT WE COULD USE OURSELVES – DO WHATEVER HE TELLS
YOU TO DO.” AND SHE SPEAKS TWO MORE TIMES FOR WHICH WE HAVE
RECORDS – SHE SINGS “MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD.” SHE REJOICES
BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING STANDING BETWEEN HER AND HER CREATOR. AND
SHE SAYS, “SON, WHY DID YOU TREAT US THIS WAY? YOUR FATHER AND I
HAVE BEEN BESIDE OURSELVES WITH ANXIETY.” – SINCE ALL SHE WANTED
WAS TO DO THE WILL OF GOD FOR HER, WHICH WAS TO CARE FOR THIS SON
WITH LOVE.
SAINT THERESE' OF LISEAUX
SPENT MUCH OF HER SHORT LIFE IN A CLOISTERED CONVENT. SHE REALIZED
THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MISSIONARY, AND SHE WASN'T
EDUCATED ENOUGH TO BE A GREAT TEACHER; AND IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE SHE
WAS GOING TO GET TO BE A MARTYR ANY TIME SOON. BUT SHE KNEW WHAT GOD
WANTED FOR HER – AND WANTS FOR EVERY ONE OF HIS PEOPLE – TO DO
EVERY LITTLE THING WITH LOVE. AND THAT IS HOW WE STRIVE TO ENTER
THROUGH THE NARROW GATE – WE EAT WITH LOVE, WE WORK WITH LOVE, WE
GO TO BED AT NIGHT WITH LOVE, WE OPEN THE MAIL WITH LOVE – WE ARE
CONSCIOUS THAT EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIVES CAN EITHER BE WITH LOVE OR
NOT WITH LOVE. AND MAYBE GOD WILL DECIDE TO USE THIS ONE FOR SOME
GREAT WORK, OR THAT ONE FOR SOME GREAT SACRIFICE; MAYBE GOD WILL CALL
ONE OF US TO BE A GREAT LEADER OF HIS PEOPLE. REMEMBER THE WORDS OF
THE MASTER IN JESUS' PARABLE, “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL
SERVANT; YOU HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A LITTLE, I WILL SET YOU OVER
MUCH; ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR MASTER.”
STRIVING TO ENTER THROUGH
THE NARROW GATE IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE. BUT IT IS SO WORTH THE
EFFORT. WHEN WE DO EVERYTHING WITH LOVE, WE TRANSFORM WHAT SEEMS TO
HAVE NO VALUE INTO SOMETHING THAT HAS INFINITE VALUE. WHEN WE DO
EVERYTHING WITH LOVE, GOD HIMSELF WORKS IN US, BECAUSE GOD, AS SAINT
JOHN TELLS US, IS LOVE.
