Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations.)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (66:18-21)

Thus says the Lord: I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the Lord in clean vessels. Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord. —The Word of the Lord.

1. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (117:1, 2)

1. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. (Mk 16:15)

Or Alleluia.

Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R)

For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R)

SECOND READING (Those whom the Lord loves, he disciplines.)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (12:5-7, 11-13)

Brothers and sisters, You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed. —The Word of the Lord.

1. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Jn 14:6)

1. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me. (R)

GOSPEL (They will come from east and west and recline at table in the kingdom of God.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (13:22-30)

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “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.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

1. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“Some who are last will be first”

As surprising as it may seem, there is a characteristic of the divine that many religious people find troublesome. This characteristic is God’s universal concern for all people in the world. Some people of faith quietly resent the thought that God would be gracious towards people who hold different religious and political views than ours. They would prefer to see such people shunned or punished for their errors rather than accepted by God and even SAVED.

This “exclusionary” point of view can be found in some of the earliest traditions of Israel. We find the notion of a patron God who chose one people from among many and protected them with peace and prosperity. Such a God was considered the special patron of Israel, but not the patron of all the other peoples of the world. These other nations had their own “gods” to care for them. Only gradually did the perception of the God of Israel develop and expand so that the universal scope of God’s love and care for all his creation became clear. The Israelites finally came to see that God is concerned with the happiness and salvation of all. Our readings today address this universal divine concern for all.

The reading from Isaiah contains an announcement that in the near future people from several foreign lands will be called together by God. These gathered people will become a sign of the glory of God for still more foreigners. This is a curious prediction. It is one thing to bring the captive and scattered Israelites back to their own land, but the people mentioned here are not Israelites. These people come from the “nations of every language.” In other words, those who are outsiders will become the insiders. To this remarkable example of divine universalism is added the shocking declaration that these foreigners will even be numbered among the priests and Levites. Has ancient Israel’s strict code of purity, particularly religious purity, been overturned? Will the unclean foreigners gain access even to Israel’s most sacred precincts of the Temple? Has the exclusive circle known as the people of God been expanded to include anyone who wishes to join? And if this is the case, who now does not belong to the people of God?

In the Gospel today we face a slightly different perspective of the notion of being chosen. Its focus is on entrance into the reign of God. Some of the people at the time of Jesus seemed to have presumed that since as Jews they belonged to the chosen people, they would automatically have easy access to the long-awaited reign of God. This reign was understood as a promised state of being that would bring to fulfillment all of Israel’s ancient religious hopes and dreams. Jesus quickly disabuses the people of this erroneous presumption. He insists that those who do not make the necessary effort to follow His commands would be denied entrance into the reign of God. And if they are locked out, then who would enter? Who would take their places? Looking back to the first reading from Isaiah, it will be foreigners “from the east and the west, from the north and the south.” Once again, the outsiders will become the insiders. But there is an added reversal in the Gospel – Jesus warns that those who had been considered the “insiders” might find themselves outside the banquet completely.

Our brief Responsorial Psalm picks up this same theme of universal inclusion. In it, all nations, all peoples are invited to praise God. And in the part we respond, we are reminded of our Mission mandate, “Go out to all the world and tell the Good news!” The reason the psalmist gives for this universal praise of God is the divine kindness and fidelity – technical covenant words – shown to Israel This call to foreigners to praise a God not their own may seem strange. But we have to remember that Israel was a rather insignificant nation in the ancient world. If other nations realized that despite this lowly status the God of Israel was able to protect and care for the people, these other nations would recognize the power and goodness of that God. Thus, through the witness of Israel, other nations would be drawn to God and would join Israel in praising God.

One aspect of being in “insider” is not always appreciated, and that is the need to be disciplined. If we truly want to belong to the reign of God, we must act accordingly. The author of the Letter to Hebrews calls our attention to this. We must be trained in righteousness, and this is not always easy or pleasant. Many of us need to rid ourselves of selfishness and arrogance. Others among us need to cleanse our hearts of bias and discrimination. The other readings and psalm provide challenges for us as well. Our baptism conferred on us the responsibility of witnessing to the entire world the glory of God. People of every religious faith and background should be able to recognize God’s goodness in the way we live our lives and the manner in which we interact with everyone around us. This is particularly important today, when there is such animosity among people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. This interfaith challenge, that “all are welcome” may well be the narrow gate through which we must pass if we ever hope to sit at the table of God’s Kingdom – and truly recognize that the outsider is in.

Prayers

Celebrant: We should never approach God’s table relying on our own merits; we should, however, respond with faith to his invitation to all peoples to enter his kingdom. We such humility, let us offer our prayers.

READER: For all members of the holy Church of God, that through suffering and endurance they may come to the feast of the kingdom, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all nations and governments, that they will respect religious freedom and allow their people to hear Christ’s invitation, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For those who have lost a desire for the things of heaven, that they may regain the fervor of faith and the joy of the sacraments, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all of us gathered at this Mass, that we may with faith, joy, mutual respect and peace take our place in the kingdom of God, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all those in need of our prayers and for our faithful departed loved ones, that they may be welcomed into the heavenly Jerusalem and find their eternal comfort and reward there, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Lord and Father of all peoples, we make these prayers in faith seeking to respond to the invitation of your Son, our only Savior, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (all) AMEN.