***1st Reading***

Isaiah 66: 18-21

Now I am going to gather the nations of every tongue, and they will witness my glory, for I will perform a wonderful thing among them. 

Then I will send some of their survivors to the nations – Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moscheck, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan – to the dis­tant islands where no one has ever heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.

They will bring your kindred from all the nations as an offering to Yahweh on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on camels to my holy moun­tain in Jerusalem, says Yahweh, just as the Israelites bring oblations in clean vessels to the house of Yahweh. Then I will choose priests and Levites even from them, says Yahweh.

 

 ***2nd Reading ***

 Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13

Do not forget the comforting words that Wisdom addresses to you as children: My son, pay attention when the Lord corrects you and do not be discouraged when he punishes you.  For the Lord corrects those he loves and chastises everyone he accepts as a son.What you endure is in order to correct you. God treats you like sons and what son is not corrected by his father?  

All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness to those who have been trained by it.  Lift up, then, your drooping hands, and strengthen your trembling knees;  make level the ways for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but healed.

 

**** Gospel ****

Luke 13: 22-30

 Jesus went through towns and villages teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.  Some­­one asked him, “Lord, is it true that few people will be saved?” And Jesus answered,  “Do your best to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has gone inside and locked the door, you will stand outside; then you will knock at the door calling: ‘Lord, open to us.’ But he will say to you: ‘I do not know where you come from.’

Then you will say: We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets!  But he will reply: ‘I don’t know where you come from. Away from me all you workers of evil.’

You will weep and grind your teeth when you see Abraham Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves left outside.  Others will sit at table in the kingdom of God, people coming from east and west, from north and south.  Some who are among the last will be the first, and some who are among the first, were be last!”

 

Reflection gospel:

READ: In Isaiah, we hear of Yahweh making himself known to all nations, inviting them to see his glory, and performing wonderful things. The Letter to the Hebrew emphasizes the importance of correction. While correction is not pleasant, (but) its fruit is rewarding. The gospel tells of the requisite to be saved, that is, by entering the narrow door, which is Jesus.

REFLECT: There are fundamentally two things needed to be saved, namely: faith in Jesus and conversion to new life. They are the keys to enter the narrow door. They are the requisites to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Faith and conversion enable one to build a relationship with Jesus. Faith and conversion pose some difficulties to those who wish to follow Christ because they involve radical shift/change in one’s thinking and doing.

They touch the core of our being so that we become open to the transforming action of the Spirit. Faith in Jesus would mean an absolute dependence in his love, compassion and mercy. Conversion to new life means redirecting our lives to a new way of living. It means discarding, or transforming our old ways, and incorporating beneficial and creative ways of thinking and acting. To many, the narrow door of Christ is a big challenge. But to those who have faith and have been converted to the love of God, the narrow door “widens”.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, may we grow in faith and love of you.

ACT: Develop a program for self-transformation and put it to action.