Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary TimeDo you Want the Life of holiness? or the life of Satan? Do you have the life of determinists or Epicureans?Is 66: 18-21
Heb 12: 5-7, 11-13
LK 13: 22-30Who is God for you?
Good morning my dear friends in Christ Jesus. Today’s gospel begins with a question, that, Lord how many of us will be saved? All will be saved or only few will be saved? Now if this question is asked to you what will be your answers? All will be saved or only few will be saved? You can answer! For example so many people came to the church today all of us will receive the blessings of God or only few of us will receive the blessings of God? What is your answer? Let us find the answer in today’s reading.
Dear friends, who is God for you? Again I repeat who is God for you? …..(My father, mother, friend, savior, etc) is He your friend? Is He your father? Is He your savior? Okay. … If it so for example if your friend says something to you will you obey or not?.... in the same way, when you say God is your friend, father, mother, savior etc, if he says something do you will you obey or not? …. today let us see what your father or friend is saying to you? Did you listen to the Gospel today? oui or non... God says so many things but today for our reflection let us see one thing. Okay
Dear friends today Jesus speaks of two kinds of philosophy for our life. That is life of Epicureanism and the life of determinism. Friends just imagine (just for the example okey) this one side of people are Epicureans and the other side of people are determinists. (Lift side…. Right side….) The motto of the epicureans are; the human life is very short on this earth therefore eat -whatever you get, drink -whatever you want, enjoy -at the maximum and make merry and die, do not bother about anything or anybody. The other are the determinists say that life is too short on this earth therefore live righteously and honestly, obey God, do not be selfish rather be generous, Love God and love your neighbor, do something good for the society, family, etc, be example to one another, take care of your neighbor, and finally you be happy and make others life happy and die.
Now all of you tell me today what kind of life that you and I choose to live? … Life of this group or life of that group? Or you want to be determinists or like Epicureans? Tell me your answer?... okey.
Today Jesus sets two kinds of life before us. As we read in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 30 and verse 19 that “see I have set before you, life and death; blessings and curses; therefore you choose what kind of life that you and your children want?” Now tell me what kind of life that you want? Do you want life or death? or blessings or curses? You decide for your life.
Dear friends through today’s gospel Jesus place two kinds of life that is life of narrow door and life of wider door. (What is the meaning of narrow life or narrow door? For example to go to St. Paul’s coordination how many roads do we have? I think there are many roads to reach St. Paul coordination. Is it not? Yes. First time I went to St. Paul coordination by bike. It took for me one hour to reach. Because as I was going, I have lost the way and I do not know how to go? Because, all the streets look like same finally I reached late. Because I thought that if I take short road I can reach fastly but I have lost my way. And Fr. Lourdu said to me to follow the narrow door. For example, from the church you take straight road and take right and go straight you will see a petrol station and a Tar road and cross the road again go straight you will reach St. Paul. Thus he said that if you take narrow road you can reach safely and fastly). Dear friends the narrow door will lead you to reach correctly, and safely, but when you take wider door you may lose your way, it is difficult to reach, you need to undergo lots of problems etc. The life of narrow door is very very difficult. it is the life of poverty, it is the life of sufferings, it is the life of challenge, whereas the life of wider door is full of enjoyment, always joyful, dancing, drinking, make merry, etc. Jesus says that many will follow the wider door but only few will follow the narrow door. In the second reading we read that the one who chooses the narrow life will surely undergo the pain and suffering on this earth but later God will reward him.
For example Job in the OT suffered a lot on this earth but God blessed him abundantly because he joyfully choose to live the life of narrow door. The one who follows the narrow door will be called as people of God, saints, holy, blessed etc. and the one who follows the wider door will be called as people of Satan, and selfish. Now you choose want kind of life that you want.
Life of holiness? or life of Satan?
Do you want the life of determinists or Epicureans?
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