08/24/2025
Luke 13:22-30 Jesus passed
through towns and villages, teaching as
e went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked h
im, "Lord,
will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter
through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will
not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the
door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for
us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from. And you
will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all
you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you
yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from
the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For
behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be
last."
Have you heard the old joke about
being quiet when you enter to heaven? A man arrives at the Pearly Gates and St.
Peter asks him his religion. He answers, “Methodist.” St. Peter looks down his
list and says, “Go to Room 24 but be very quiet as you pass Room 8.” Another
person arrives at the gates of Paradise and Peter asks her religion. She
replies, “I’m Jewish.” After examining his list, Peter replies: “Go to Room 18,
but be very quiet as you pass Room 8.”
A third man walks up to the gates of heaven
and when asked his religion he responds: “I am a Mormon.” Peter tells him to go
to Room 11, but be extra quiet as he passes Room 8.” The man stops to tell St.
Peter he understand putting people of different religions in different rooms,
but why should remain be quiet when he passes Room 8? St. Peter explains:
“Well, the Catholics are in Room 8, and they think they are the only ones
here.”
Of course, you can tell that joke
and put any denomination in Room 8. Why? Well, because all faiths believe that
to a greater or lesser degree. But I decided to put Catholics in Room 8 because
of our traditional teaching called “extra Ecclesiam nulla salus.” That means,
“outside the Church there is no salvation.” Put positively, only Catholics will
go to heaven.
But Vatican II helped us to expand
our understanding of that teaching which is still true. How so? Well, that wise
ecumenical council taught that whenever someone is saved, the Church is
“mysteriously present,” even if we cannot tangibly tell how the Church
operates. Jesus the Head always works through his Body, the Church.
In other words, salvation may not
be based on external evidence – what denomination one belongs to – but there
will nonetheless be internal evidence – a heart brimming with unconditional
love. And therefore, we believe that everyone who genuinely loves others has a
shot at heaven.
Our Scriptures today speak
resoundingly about how the Pearly Gates are open to every person, regardless of
their color, culture, or creed. Isaish prophesies in the first reading: “I come
to gather nations of every language; for they shall come and see my glory.” And
then he adds what must have sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Jewish ears:
Isaiah prophesies: “Some of these
[foreigners] I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.” You will
recall that being a priest or Levite was not just exclusive to the Chosen
People, but it was restricted to only one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel,
namely, Levi. But Isaiah insists one day, everyone will have a shot not only at
Paradise, but also at the priesthood.
And in today’s gospel from Luke 13,
we read: “Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few people be saved?’” That is,
will only those in Room 8 be saved – because that is what every faith feels to
some degree – or is heaven a lot bigger than one room, and therefore a lot
bigger than one religion?
Jesus’ reply would eventually ring
from all four corners of the globe: “People will come from the east and the
west and from the north and the south and will recline at table at in the
kingdom of God.” In other words, everyone will have a shot at heaven no matter
what corner or compass point of th world you come from. The litmus test is
love.
My friends, the more practical
question for us is not whether there is room enough in heaven for everybody,
like the man asked in the gospel, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
Heaven is as big as God’s heart, and all the people in the world can
comfortably fit inside. That is not the problem.
Rather, we need to ask ourselves:
Is there enough room in my heart for everyone? That is, are there only a few
people that we allow to enter through the Pearly Gates of our hearts, while we
shut out and shun others? Is my heart as big as God’s heart? Only then will I have
a shot at heaven.
Let me leave you with this
extraordinary example of loving without limits. A lady named Maria (that’s not
her real name, I felt uncomfortable about disclosing her identity) asked me a
couple of weeks ago to visit her ex-husband who was dying in the hospital and
give him the Last Rites. She explained that he is from Mexico, and doesn’t have
any family here, so she was trying to help him.
I ran into her again yesterday, and
she told me the doctors said he doesn’t have long to live, and will send him
back to Mexico in an ambulance. Maria told me she had had a restraining order
put on him for domestic violence which is why they got a divorce. But she not
only lifted that restraining order, she is raising money for his ambulance ride
home.
She told me with tears in her eyes,
“He is a human being an there is no one else here to care for him.” I was
stunned by her humility, her sacrifice, and her ability to still love him
despite being hurt by him. Maria wants everyone to have a shot at heaven, even
her abusive ex-husband. That is love without limits. I have no doubt that when
she knocks on Heaven’s Door, Peter will not only open the door, he will roll
out the red carpet.
Praised be Jesus
Christ!
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