People have described today’s society in many ways; one aspect is obvious:
ours is a society where there is much competition indeed.
It seems that most people want to be on top and ahead of others.
The gospel often speaks a message that goes against the prevailing mentality.
The last line of today’s text is a good example of this (Lk.13:22-30).
I imagine that many wonder exactly what will make it possible to be first in God’s home…
What should be done to achieve this?
Special prayers? Costly sacrifices?
What else? What more?
Perhaps, the first thing is to understand that what is expected of us is simply… to do our best!
You wonder: Is it that simple?
Yes, striving, from day to day, to follow God’s will for us in the concrete situations of our daily life.
It is an invitation to a competition of a different kind.
This type of ‘competition’ is NOT with others but… with our selves –
the less noble part of us and the best self that we can become!
And then?
Then, the apostle Paul tells us that we should remain:
“Confident of this, that he who began a good work in you (God himself)
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. » (Ph.1:6)
Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/21e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2019/
I heard someone say : ‘God does not know how to count’. In any case, his way of counting is not ours. The Psalmist had understood this when he wrote: “A thousand years in your sight are like a day” (Ps.90:4) . And through the prophet Isaiah, God had told us already: “My thoughts are not your thought, my ways not your ways” (Is.55:8).