Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time—Year C

Lectio

    Luke 13:22–30

Meditatio

“After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ ”

    Luke’s thirteenth chapter is about the call to conversion and repentance, which this parable stresses. A key word in the above verse is after. The one who is standing outside and knocking is, in fact, admitting that he or she doesn’t really know the Lord. The person has eaten and drunk with Jesus, and even heard him preach—so the question arises, why is the person outside? One who has heard the Lord preach cannot claim to be ignorant about what to do. After hearing the call to repentance and conversion, the only reason to remain outside is a failure to take action. In other words, the person has procrastinated.

    How many times have we put off until tomorrow the difficult things we would rather not do? Probably those instances are too numerous to count. We pray with Scripture, we have dined with the Lord at the Eucharist, we have heard him preaching through our priests and bishops. He clearly invites us to repentance and conversion, yet how often we put it off. Jesus invites us to change through the questions he puts in our hearts. Am I being selfish with my time? Do I hold myself above or beneath others? Do I love God with my whole heart, soul, and mind, and love his people as I should love myself? Such questions are invitations to change and to express sorrow for past injustices. We are called not to stand outside, but to enter through the door today by being open to inner conversion. With the invitation, Jesus gives us the grace to repent and convert. He calls to us, “Do not delay; do not procrastinate. Look on the face of Love and enter through the door. Don’t stay outside any longer, but be grateful for God’s mercy and goodness!”

Oratio

    Lord, you have invited me this day to walk through the door of love and service, and my heart is stirring in response. Gently you have questioned and prodded me to reflect on my actions, and I thank you for loving me enough to do that. I do not want to put off any longer the change to which you are inviting me. I want to become more like you, to love as you love, to serve others as you would have me serve them. Help me to respond today to the grace you have given me to act upon your invitation. Amen.

Contemplatio

    “… now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)