FROM THE PULPIT

Two priests died at the same time and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "I'd like to get you guys in now, but our computer's down. You'll have to go back to Earth for about a week, but you can't go back as humans. What will it be?" The first priest says, "I've always wanted to be an eagle, soaring above the Rocky Mountains." "So be it," says St. Peter, and off flies the first priest. The second priest mulls this over for a moment and asks, "Will any of this week 'count', St. Peter?" "No, I told you the computer's down. There's no way we can keep track of what you're doing. The week's a freebie." "In that case," says the second priest, "I've always wanted to be a stud." "So be it," says St. Peter, and the second priest disappears.

A week goes by, the computer is fixed, and the Lord tells St. Peter to recall the two priests. "Will you have any trouble locating them?" He asks. "The first one should be easy," says St. Peter. "He's somewhere over the Rockies, flying with the eagles. But the second one could prove to be more difficult." "Why?" ask the Lord. St. Peter answered, "He's on a snow tire, somewhere in North Dakota."

The opening line of the gospel reminds us that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. Everything along the way—signs and sayings—is to help the disciples prepare for the coming Passion. This leads to the opening question and the key issue: who will be saved? The somewhat unfocused answer is due in part to Luke’s pulling together a number of sayings from different contexts. The image of the door is central. For a time the door is open. While it is, anyone can enter; but entry requires seriousness of purpose, not a half-hearted interest. The time is coming when the door will be closed: once the end has arrived and the judgment takes place, the opportunity has passed. At that time, those who claim to have rubbed elbows with Jesus (“we ate with you...you taught in our streets”) but have not followed him are left outside. By their own admission, they had the opportunity but they did not take it. The door is closed. Those who can through the door include both the faithful among God’s elect, represented by the patriarch and prophets, as well as Gentiles from east and west, north and south. What awaits them inside the door is the table of the messianic banquet. Those whom the chosen people had thought would be “last” are reclining at table, while those who should have been “first.” but did not follow Jesus are now “last.” [1]

As we channel surf especially on a Sunday morning we come across many different evangelists who ask that famous question, Are you saved? As Catholics we don’t ask that question because first of all we believe that we have to work our salvation, it’s not a one deal where once we get this “salvation” we are all set for life. What we should ask ourselves is “what are we doing in order to gain our salvation?”

Many people don’t want to believe that hell exists and all will end up in a happy place but Jesus speaks differently this morning and he speaks of rejection. My brothers and sisters it’s not simply enough to have knowledge of Jesus such as that he is the son of God, that is our savior, etc. Anyone can be capable of having knowledge of Jesus but only those with faith can have a relationship with our Lord. Have a relationship with our Lord is going beyond just knowing him but living our whole life around him and bringing him to others.

In the Gospel of Matthew we hear, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (25:35-40).

That is when we know Jesus my brothers and sisters that we take care of others. One of the biggest sins of our society is social injustice. Just to look around you and see people that are not being taken care of because either the government doesn’t provide services for them or society has just left them alone because they don’t want to be bothered. Just to think of great people in just the last 100 years or so who have done so much for their brothers and sisters. Mother Theresa who was a woman that gave up a comfortable lifestyle to help the injustice of what she saw in Calcutta and wanted to take care of these people. Fr. Damien who went to the island of Molokai in Hawaii to take care of the people that were treated unfairly by the government and society because they were leopars. Dorothy Day who became known for her social justice campaigns in defense of the poor, forsaken, hungry and homeless.

My dear brothers and sisters let us work on receiving the eternal reward but we can not stand back and do nothing but we must help one another, we must speak against injustices and we must also bring those that have fallen astray to join us in our work and “to go out to all the world and tell the good news.”


[1] Living Liturgy, p. 199