Word to the Wise
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - Wednesday in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 6:1-9 and Luke 13:22-30]"Lord, will only a few people be saved?" [Luke]
The question in today's gospel is one that more than a few people have asked in the history of Christianity. The notion of predestination was addressed by St. Augustine who seemed to think this was the case. But the Catholic Church does not teach that we are "predestined" for heaven or hell, even given the special status of Mary. The tradition is that while God may know which way we will choose, we have the freedom to make that choice or not. Jesus says the way is "narrow," meaning that it is demanding. That should be clear to all of us who struggle at times with our efforts to live faithfully the Lord's teaching. What we can be sure of at the same time that we struggle is that God is merciful and reads our hearts. We cannot simply claim familiarity or kinship with Jesus! We must "hear the word of God and act on it." AMEN