Good morning, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. Have you ever been worried about being on a guest ...
Good morning, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.
Have you ever been worried about being on a guest list? You know, for a wedding, a special party, or maybe even for a visa application. We worry, "Am I invited? Is my name on the list? Will they let me in?" It's a very human feeling to want to be included, to be chosen.
In our Gospel today, someone asks Jesus a similar question, but with much higher stakes: "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" It’s a question about the ultimate guest list—the guest list for heaven. And Jesus’ answer, along with our other readings, gives us a beautiful and challenging guide to our faith. We can understand this guide through three words that begin with the letter 'S': Summoned, Schooled, and Striving.
Summoned
First, we are all summoned.
Our first reading from the prophet Isaiah and our beautiful short Psalm 117 are filled with incredible hope. God says He will "gather all nations and tongues," and the Psalm commands, "Praise the LORD, all you nations!"
What does this mean? It means God’s invitation to His heavenly kingdom is universal. It’s for everyone! It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, from the Philippines or from another country, young or old, strong or weak. God’s invitation has your name on it. He is like a loving Lolo who is preparing a grand fiesta, and He wants all of His children and grandchildren (apo) to be there. Walang maiiwan. No one is left out. The invitation is sent out to the east and the west, to the north and the south.
This is the Good News! God’s love is not exclusive. You are wanted. You are called. You are summoned.
Schooled
But is receiving the invitation enough? Imagine you are invited to run a marathon. Just because you get the invitation doesn't mean you're ready to run 42 kilometers, right? You need to train. This brings us to our second word: Schooled.
Our second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews talks about discipline. The word "discipline" can sound harsh to us, like punishment. But the reading clarifies that God's discipline is not meant to crush us; it's meant to train us. It says, "For what 'son' is there whom his father does not discipline?"
My dear friends, the hardships we face in life—ang mga pagsubok sa ating buhay—our disappointments, our struggles, our pains... these are not signs that God has abandoned us. Instead, they can be moments where God, our loving Father, is "schooling" us. He is our divine Coach, training us to build our spiritual muscles. He is a wise parent, correcting us when we go astray, not out of anger, but out of immense love to make us holy and ready for His kingdom. Discipline is painful, yes, but it "brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it." God is preparing us for the finish line.
Striving
So, God has summoned us all, and He schools us along the way. What, then, is our part? This leads us to our third and final word: Striving.
In the Gospel, Jesus doesn't directly answer the question, "Will only a few be saved?" Instead, He gives a command: "Strive to enter through the narrow door."
The original Greek word for "strive" is agōnizesthe, which is where we get the English word "agonize." It implies a struggle, a serious and continuous effort. It’s not a passive waiting game. Salvation is a gift, but it's a gift we must actively and wholeheartedly receive. It's not enough to just be on the guest list; we have to actually make the journey to the party.
I once knew a man who worked abroad for 20 years. He sacrificed so much for his family. He missed birthdays, fiestas, and graduations. He worked day and night. Why? Because he had a goal: to give his children a good future. He was striving. He was agonizing for a goal he believed in.
That is the kind of effort Jesus is talking about. The door is "narrow." Why? Because we cannot enter it carrying a lot of baggage. We have to leave behind our pride, our selfishness, our anger, and our unforgiveness. We have to choose the difficult path of love, honesty, and humility every single day. We must strive to know Jesus, not just as a historical figure, but as our friend, our savior, who we eat and drink with at this very altar.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, as we continue with our celebration, let's reflect on these three words.
Let us rejoice that we are all summoned by a God who loves us without limits. Let us find strength in knowing that in our hardships, we are being schooled by a loving Father who is training us for holiness. And let us respond to His call by striving with all our might to enter the narrow door, letting go of all that holds us back.
The journey may be difficult, but the destination is a feast beyond all imagining, where the last will be first, and we will all be home, together with God. Amen.
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