By dwelling in God we become small

Listening to the Spirit

O God, who cause the minds of the faithful
to unite in a single purpose,
grant your people to love what you command
and to desire what you promise,
that, amid the uncertainties of this world,
our hearts may be fixed on that place
where true gladness is found.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

(Sunday’s Collect prayer)

Listening to the Word

Luke 13:22-30

Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Reflection

In the gospel of the XXI Sunday of the Ordinary Time, we encounter two images, one opposite of the other:

The first image is the narrow gate. It reminds us of something narrow and therefore difficult to be crossed, demanding, that requires a good commitment.

The second image is the multitude of people coming “from the east and the west and from the north and the south”. It reminds us of something wide, that includes many people, recalling to our mind communion and fraternity.

How to reconcile these two images?
The narrow gate requires us to become “small”, to be humble, sincere, honest, transparent like the small ones, like the children. It comes to our mind the word of Jesus: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Lk 18,16). To be “small” means also to be committed, to be resolute, determined in the vocation God has called us to live. To be a good parent, a good son or daughter, a good priest, a good sister, and a good religious, fulfilling the will of God summarized in the two commandments left by Jesus: the love for God and the love for our neighbor. Who are those who eat with the Lord (the Eucharist), and were taught by him (catechesis) and despite this were not allowed to enter his palace? Those who did not accept to become “small” and did not fulfill the two commandments of Jesus. We understand therefore the world of Simon Weil: “The true faith is shown not through the way one talks about God, but the way he talks and acts in his/her life. From there I understand if someone has dwelled in God”. Dwelling in God we become small, we become full of compassion and mercy for all our brothers and sisters.
The second image describes a wonderful reality. A multitude of people will gather. It means that many are those who live a life of humbleness, commitment, service, and love for the others. They come from different parts of the world, they belong to different religions, cultures, traditions, and costumes, but all of them are united by the same characteristics: simple persons, humble, able to love, forgive, welcome, embrace, to strive for peace and justice.
We will be many: this is good news. Today together with us many people are striving for a better world.