21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 25/08/2019

God’s love for all of humanity is at the center of this Sunday’s liturgy. The Psalmist acknowledges this truth by proclaiming that “God’s merciful love prevails over us” (Psalm 117:2).

Prophet Isaiah tells of when God will gather all the people to himself. This will happen because of God’s love that is so strong to people of every nation, race and belief, and all will be counted as his children. In the world today marked with ideological, political and racial divisions, this comes to us as an appeal for commitment and conversion.

The Gospel reminds us to avoid being lukewarm in our faith and our religious practice. The Spirit of God is at work with no limits or favoritism, but we all need to work hard for God’s Kingdom to avoid being shut out. This teaching may seem harsh, but the letter to the Hebrews explains that we are all daughters and sons of God and our trials can only be understood when we become aware of the relationship we have with God.

Certainly, the call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a call to “cheap grace” that is, seeking consolations of the faith without commitment or conversion, but we must strive to enter the narrow door- “costly grace.” Costly grace should be our real and profound influence in defining who we are and what we do. Jesus says, “Try your best to enter by the narrow door, since many will try but will not succeed” (Luke 13: 24).

Similarly, Christian life is not a football game, where you are either a player or a spectator. It’s not like a river flowing and you keep asking how deep it is? How cold it is? Where it flows from and to?  How wide is the river? A Christian disciple is not “either or”, and not one who wants to know ABOUT Jesus Christ, but the one who want to know Jesus Christ who calls us to make a commitment to a life that requires serious conversion. A life of striving to get rid of many wasps and bees along the way that keep stinging us but still we are committed to follow the one who is our Love and Peace: Jesus The Christ. “Strive to enter by the narrow door”, be real, embrace “costly grace” Be authentic Christian, family dad and mum, a religious person, priest or a community leader.

Joy and Peace