Homily for Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st August, 2022.

 Readings: Is. 66:18-21; Ps.117; Heb. 12:5-7.11-13; Luke 13:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DEPART FROM THE WIDE ROAD OF SIN AND DEATH, AND STRIVE TO ENTER BY THE NARROW GATE  OF LOVE THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE 

Life is nothing but a temporal assignment, a journey which begins in the morning so beautiful, full of expectations and hope, but the sojourner have no knowledge of his/her destination, purpose and end. The only guide is his/ her willingness to constantly following the directives of the Sender who communicates his plans and purposes to those who care and willing to listen. 

Thus, the emptiness and shortness of life makes me to reflect on my future as a human person and the question that comes to my mind is: "where will you and I, and the beautiful things of this world be in the next one, ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? 

The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question rather, it exposed before me the teachings of Jesus in our Gospel passage today when he said:  try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. For once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.

Here, Jesus calls our attention to the reality of life which we must not take for granted, that is the need for us to follow the teachings of the Lord, for humanity have failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and for one another that seems difficult and narrow to them, but prefers to follow the destructive ways of life that is born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things, as things of this passing world are so captivating and many people have been captured by its seductive power and are greatly following it.  We must not be victims of this ugly situation. Rather, we must learn to submit ourselves to the directives of the Holy Spirit for he is always ready to guide us along the narrow ways of life.

Little wonder we heard the Lord in our second reading today saying: My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. And he continues: suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. 

So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will grow strong again. And also God through prophet Isaiah in our first reading today says: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations

Dear friends, we must learn to depart from the wide road of sin and death, and strive to enter by the narrow gate love, holiness, peace and goodness that leads to of enteral life. For the worst thing that can happen to us at the last moment of our life is to hear the Lord say: I do not know where you come from. The fact remains that life is indeed very short and the road that leads to death and destruction is truly wide and very captivating, of which many are captives of its seductive power. But the road to life are becoming narrow more and more because humanity are working so hard to expand the seductive roads and gates of destruction against the narrow gate of life. 

Therefore, we are called to embrace the narrow gate of love and road of holiness and peace that leads to eternal life.  There may be some of us who presumed and thought they could enter the kingdom of God because they feel that they are special candidate of heaven. We must be careful about such presumption, because salvation depends on the favour of God and one’s honest struggle to follow Christ the narrow gate of enteral life. Hence, we must work harder by resisting all the temptations and sinful things of this passing world and embrace the life of love and sacrifice which Jesus has offered us. So, let us turn towards God with all our hearts by removing from our hearts all forms of presumption, pride, greed and unhealthy desires that lead us astray down the path of destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our journey of life depends on you and today you have called us to follow the narrow gate of love and sacrifice. But the seductive road of this passing world is really captivating and many are victim of its power, grant us the grace to resist it but journey through the path and gate that leads to eternal life, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless your little efforts in life and guide you always. Happy Sunday