21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: Life in Christ assures us of our heavenly inheritance.
Theme: Life in Christ assures us of our heavenly inheritance when we embrace His discipline and strive to be righteous.
Promise: “I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations… they shall come and see my glory.” (Is 66:18)
Reflection
“The Lord is steadfast in his kindness toward us, His fidelity endures forever,” (Ps 117:2).
It is God’s will that we, His people, will be saved because we belong to Him. The Lord wants us to come and see the glory of His kingdom for all eternity and there is a place in heaven which Jesus Christ prepared for us. Yet, our way of life determines our chance to enter God’s kingdom. Discipline, trials and sacrifices are part of being a true Christian. A Christian who avoids discipline and struggles and instead is attached to the easy and comfortable life cannot enter through the narrow gate that leads him to eternal bliss. “Many will attempt but will not be strong enough,” (Lk 13:24) because they have weak faith and they do not persevere enough.
Our life on earth is a journey which will lead us to our final destination, through the narrow gate of God’s heavenly kingdom. Judgment is rendered upon us by the Lord whether we will be permitted to enter the gate or not, depending on how we lived our life during our journey. The path towards eternal life is full of trials and temptations, and it is necessary that we strengthen our faith and persevere to hurdle all of the challenges. Our heart must be focused in the right direction to do what is right in our life.
We are prompted to live a life in Christ to be assured of our heavenly inheritance. We look upon Him as our Lord and Savior who emulated the great love of the Father as He lived a life of obedience, humility, kindness and self-sacrifice. The best response we can offer is to follow Him and commit to accept the conditions of discipleship, as He said; “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it,” (Mt 16:24-25). We must rely on His grace and be guided by His teachings to be a true disciple. Following Jesus is not an easy task; we know it will require much effort and we must be willing to make sacrifices. The path we are called to follow Jesus is demanding, but it is equally rewarding. It will test us, but it will also strengthen and encourage us. When we put our faith into concrete action, our ‘yes’ to Jesus becomes real, not only in our lives but in the lives of others.
True disciples consistently display a disciplined character and good witnessing, despite facing trials that would test their faith and determination to live a good life. They strive to be righteous and inspire others to do the same. Molded by the love of God, they devote themselves to serve the Lord and share the spiritual graces and blessings they receive. They are good companions in the spiritual journey.
We are then reminded that the way to the heavenly kingdom of the Lord is long and challenging. We are exhorted to set our lives in rightheousness and continue our journey with renewed strength and determination. We seriously strive to grow in holiness and perfection. And as we exert effort to reach the narrow gate, we are assured that we will be permitted to enter and claim the Lord’s promise; “I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations… they shall come and see my glory,” (Is 66:18).
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for Your kindness and fidelity that endures forever. Thank for Your great love, for wanting to save us. Help me create a discerning and disciplined life. Grant me the grace to strengthen my faith and grow in holiness. Be with me in my journey as I desire to be blessed with Your glory. In the most loving name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Reflection Guide Questions:
- Where does your life’s journey lead you? Are you living the life that will bring your there?
- What difficulties are you encountering to be able to follow Jesus?
- What are your challenges in strengthening your faith?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
August 21, 2022 (Sun) – Is 66:18-21/ Ps 117:1, 2/ Heb 12:5-7, 11-13/ Lk 13:22-30
August 22, 2022 (Mon) – 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11, 12/ Ps 96:1-5/ Mt 23:13-22
August 23, 2022 (Tue) – 2 Thes 2:1-3, 14-17/ Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13/ Mt 23:23-26
August 24, 2022 (Wed) – Rv 21:-14/ Ps 145:10-18/ Jn 1:45-51
August 25, 2022 (Thu) – 1 Cor 1:1-9/ Ps 145:2-7/ Mt 24:42-51
August 26, 2022 (Fri) – 1 Cor 1:17-25/ Ps 33:1-2, 4, 5, 10, 11/ Mt 25:1-13
August 27, 2022 (Sat) – 1 Cor 1:26-31/ Ps 33:12-13, 18-21/ Mt 25:14-30
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
