1ST READING - Isaiah 66:18-21
18 Thus
says the Lord: I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to
gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. 19 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. 20 They
shall bring all your brothers and sisters 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. 21 Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
P S A L M - Psalm 117:1, 2
R: Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R)
2ND READING - Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
5 Brothers
and sisters, You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as
children: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose
heart when reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” 7 Endure your trials as “discipline;” God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? 11 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. 12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me.
Luke 13:22-30
22 Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 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.’ 26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27 Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 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. 29 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. 30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
| SABBATH | ||
IT IS THE “HOW”
“Are
you saved?” This is a question that other sects often ask. I do not
know how people usually answer the question. These sects believe that
guaranteeing salvation is their foremost concern. And they are on the
right track. However, in the Gospel today, Jesus was asked a different
question. On His way to Jerusalem, someone asked Him, “Lord, is it true
that few people will be saved?”
I encourage you to reflect on this question. The concern is more on one’s
chances of attaining salvation. So what if many or few will be saved?
If many will be saved, would it change the situation? If few will be
saved, how much change will there be? The problem with the question is
its focus on chance. If the Lord said that many will be saved, we are more confident of attaining it. If our chances are slim, then we have a lot to worry about.
If you notice, Jesus did not answer the question; rather, He ignored
it. He stressed the need to do everything in our capacity to attain it.
He said that many will try to enter God’s Kingdom but will not be able
to or will find great difficulty in doing so. The key here is not about chances or the stringent
requirements of the Kingdom. If we know God, He wants us all to be
saved. It was Jesus’ marching order. Jesus said that Himself, “While I
was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given me;
and I guarded them and not one perished,
but the son of perdition; that Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
But Jesus was being honest in that it would not be easy to be saved. We
have to contend with a lot of temptations and challenges in life and
faith. The teachings of Jesus will lead us to the Way, the Truth and the
Life. Outside and against Jesus’ Word, salvation cannot be attained, no
matter how many or few will be saved. Therefore, the right question is
not about whether a few or many will be saved, but how one can be saved.
Knowing that, and having the will to apply them, and actually doing
them, guarantee one’s salvation. This is the sure way to salvation. Fr. Benny Tuazon
REFLECTION
QUESTIONS: Are you still more concerned if you’ll be saved? Why not
focus on doing what Jesus said will lead you to heaven?
Lord Jesus, help me to have a perfect change of heart so that I will focus only on things that will make me attain heaven.
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