To be saved... any short cuts?

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 30th week in Ordinary time

October 26, 2022: Ephesians 6: 1-9; Luke 13: 22-30

Will only few be saved? Who will be saved and who will not be? Will so and so be saved? These are questions we hear more often than not. Jesus when he was posed with the same question, not even once did he answer these questions direct. He always gave an explanation that made them think more and think of something else! Once he said the parable of the camel and the eye of the needle and another time he explained to them that it is possible with God and impossible with merely human effort, and so on.

However in today's Gospel, he says there are no categories of people who would enter by default, nor are there selected races who would enter with ease the Reign of God! Anyone can enter and in fact, everyone is invited to enter the Reign of God, provided they have the right disposition and the right life style!

St. Paul in the first reading explains what this particular disposition or life style has to be. It is nothing but living our life wherever we are, in a manner that is pleasing to God. It is easy to blame the others or the situation for a life lived below the standard that is expected of us and the Lord today challenges us to 'strive to go through the narrow door'... that is the only door that leads to the Reign! 

In Paul's words, we are called to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:!2); it is not about fretting and fidgeting but about being diligent and dedicated in whatever we are called to be, wherever we are. Striving, living with endurance our day to day life, working hard... these are the terms we hear in the Word today, because there are no shortcuts, to be saved!