Luke 13: 22-30 Are A Few Saved?According to the Lord, the answer is yes. For God, too few are saved. I cannot remember where I heard this, but Mother Teresa was once asked by a group of reporters, “How many people go to Heaven?” The answer she gave was a shock to all those around her. She said, “Very few.” One reporter, looking a bit confused, asked, “How few…one out of ten?” Mother just shook her head in the negative. Insisting, the reporter continued, “One out of a hundred?” Again, Mother Teresa just shook her head. There was only silence. The reporters looking at one another were in dismay. Finally, she spoke: God is not a Mathematician. To save all mankind but to lose one soul is too many for him! You must remember, God is not a Mathematician. God is our Father!
Are only a few saved? Let us be honest with one another. It is better for us to assume the answer is “yes”. It is a sin to presume salvation (CCC 2092). What does this mean? We must compete well. We must finish the race. We must be faithful to the commandment of the Lord, “Go, throughout the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). Let us continue to work and strive (reach out) so that we do not lose a single soul to the devil. We spend so much time talking nonsense, talking gossip, asking about the weather but we refuse to ask the important questions. “When was the last time you went to Confession? I invite you, let’s go together.” This is an important question. “When did Christopher Columbus discover America?” is not an important question! It is an interesting question, but not an important question. “Who am I?” is an important question. “Who is the President of the United States” is an interesting question, but not an important one. “Who is God?” is the most important question we could ever ask. And thank God, the answer has been given to us by his Son.
Why are these important questions? Simple: They relate to my life and my salvation. These questions, once asked, will determine my life, happiness and peace. It is a remarkable fact that these questions are seldom asked. “Lord, open the door for us.” He will reply, “I do not know where you are from.” I do not know you and you do not know me!
“After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door…” Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again! Every Sunday we hear these words. These words are a response to the greatest mystery of our Faith: Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body which will be given up for you. Take this all of you and drink from it. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”
In summary: This is for you. Do this for me. The Lord takes his body, breaks his body and gives his body to the world. The Lord demands from us what he gives to us: Take. Break. Give.
“The Lord is faithful to all his words” (Ps 145:13c). These are the words of Christ. This is the life of Christ. This is the life of the Saints. This is the life that was meant for me.
Let us ask God to illuminate our hearts and minds to the knowledge of His Son, His Word that reveals His mystery; His Word that became flesh for the life of the world. We could never fit through the narrow gate to save our lives! Christ can. Let us become like Him in word and in flesh. So that he may know who we are and where we come from.
Hello, Fr. Alfonse from the 7th grade girls {Isabelle, Victoria, Jackie, Allison, Ashley [new], Lindsay, Carla, Payton, Maya, Morgan, Betsy, Bernadette, Haley, Katie, Rebekah, Cate.}
ReplyDeleteWe miss you. Thanks for all that you did for us. This spiritual insight is really great. This means that the questions in Math & History, etc. are "interesting", but not important. We would like for this to mean that we don't have to study, but we admit that it's more important for us to challenge each other w/ the truly important questions about GOD.