In today's readings, we are given both a profound comfort and a strong challenge. First, the comfort: St. Paul in Romans assures us that...
In today's readings, we are given both a profound comfort and a strong challenge.
First, the comfort: St. Paul in Romans assures us that when we don't know how to pray, the Spirit himself comes to the aid of our weakness, interceding for us. This Holy Spirit is our Helper, an advocate dwelling within us, who takes our deepest longings and expresses them to the Father. When you feel empty, tired, or lost for words, remember you have a divine Helper at work in you.
Because of this constant help, we are sustained in our hope. We know, as Paul says, that "all things work for good for those who love God." This doesn't mean bad things won't happen, but it means God can draw good, even from our struggles and failures. Our hope is in the God who justifies and glorifies.
Now, for the challenge. In the Gospel, a man asks Jesus, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Jesus’s answer is a stern call to action: "Strive to enter through the narrow gate." He tells us that just having an acquaintance with Him—eating and drinking with Him, or hearing His teaching—is not enough. Salvation requires true conversion and effort. It demands that we live up to our call to be God's children.
The narrow gate is the path of humble service, of choosing love over selfishness, of forgiveness over bitterness. It is the path of using the Helper to keep our hope firm as we strive daily to reach the ultimate goal: the banquet of Heaven. Let us take heart that we are not alone in this striving. We have the Spirit, and we have the promise. Let's make the effort to enter that narrow gate today. Amen.
ليست هناك تعليقات