The Discipline of the Lord
August 26, 2007

Readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1: Is. 66:18–21

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 117:1, 2

Reading 2: Heb. 12:5–7, 11–13

Gospel: Lk. 13:22–30

Link to Readings

By Father Vincent Huber

Jeremiah, in Chapter 2 verse 19, announces:

Your own wickedness chastises you,
your own infidelities punish you.
Know then, and see, how evil and bitter
is your forsaking the Lord, your God.

“Your own wickedness chastises you.” Maybe now we can listen to today’s second reading, which speaks in an almost Old Testament fashion: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord.” By my sins I abandon the Lord. I shut Him out of my heart. And so I am on a crash course. For my very person, body and soul, has been made in the image and likeness of God. My abandoning Him is my effort to rub out the image in which I was created. With His grace, especially sacramental grace, I can change and root out my sin. I can sand away the rust and polish that image within me. That purification is chastisement.

In the Gospel, Jesus can speak of the narrow gate. There is only one gate, the sheep gate, if you will. Jesus says elsewhere: “I am the gate for the sheep . . . Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” My searching, my seeking, my thirsting for Jesus, my continual effort to please Him, to rearrange the furniture of my mind and heart to make room for Him—these will allow me to be recognized by Him. So that He can say at my judgment: I know from where you are. Come and recline at the table in the kingdom of God. This is Heaven. And Jesus is the narrow gate.

Notice, in Isaiah, the Lord thirsts for every one of us to enter though the gate. Even such ancient exotically named countries as Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal, and Javan are welcome to enter the narrow gate.

Notice that those of us who attend Mass, support our Church, adore in the chapel—we are quite capable of being evildoers.

Do we understand: Jesus invites; the Lord cajoles; the Christ commands; the Lover redeems and purifies. But, He does not force. He made me free and He honors my freedom. I choose through my sins to refuse the narrow gate, to reject the discipline, to abandon my Divine Friend. I prefer to live alone with my gods of power, violence, lust, lies, selfishness, and injustice. That living alone is hell.

The Lord does have a plan. The Sacraments are alive. He desires all nations, all peoples, to be transformed and to live in the glorious Kingdom forever. He desires these to be lovers as He is the Divine Lover. Each is made in His image and likeness. Therefore each is capable of hearing, obeying, and thirsting to see Him face-to-face. Behold the Narrow Gate. Behold the chastisement that enables me to be purified. Behold the Lord.

Father Vincent Huber is a priest of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio.

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