21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ,

FAMILIARITY IS NOT ENOUGH:

Today we celebrate the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are reminded of the Universal call to holiness. This is based on the scriptural texts: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect” (Mtt 5:18) and God’s admonition to Abraham: ” Walk before me and be blameless” (Gen 17:1) This comes out clearly in the first reading. “The Lord says this:  l am coming to gather the nations of every language.  They shall come to witness my glory.” (Is 66:18ff)

With regard to the universal call to holiness, the Magisterium of the Church teaches: ” All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status  are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity […] They must follow in his footsteps  and conform themselves to his image, seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbour.” (Lumen Gentium 40).

Pope Benedict XVI reiterates that holiness is not the preserve of some particular group or class of people. All are called to sainthood.  Saints of God come from all walks of life. (Teachers, students, politicians, soldiers, married persons, priests etc.). Moreover, Christianity is not a state. It entails a task which must be carried out, a way of life worthy of that calling. That is why familiarity is not enough. When they are barred from entering heaven, they remind the Lord: “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he retorted: “l do not know you. Away from me.”  Yes, they kept him company, ate with him and listened to him but did they do what is expected of them as Christians? We must be doers of the word and not just hearers (Cf Jas 1:22). Passivity or Luke warmness is not worthy of a Christian. We must try our best to enter through the narrow gate. The most important thing is living the Christian life and becoming saints at the end. Numbers are not a priority. Let us not be taken unawares. I wish to share with you a poem which a friend forwarded to me in 2013. I cannot remember the author.

HEAVEN WILL SURPRISE MANY

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

As I entered Heaven’s door,

Not by the beauty of it all,

Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven

Who made me sputter and gasp–

The thieves, the liars, the sinners,

The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade

Who swiped my lunch money twice.

Next to him was my old neighbour

Who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought

Was rotting away in hell,

Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal?

I would love to hear Your take.

How’d all these sinners get up here?

God must’ve made a mistake.

‘And why is everyone so quiet,

So somber – give me a clue.’

‘Hush, child,’ He said,

‘they’re all in shock.

No one thought they’d be seeing you.’

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember…Just going to church doesn’t make you a

Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Dear friends in Christ.  We have to work for our salvation in fear and trembling (Cf. Phil 2:12). We must remember that every saint has a past and that every sinner has a future. In striving to be holy, let us cast our past to the mercy of God and dedicate the present to his love and that of our neighbour and hope for a better future with him. Heaven should not surprise us.

Remain blessed.

Fr. Marcel Kofon