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."
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."
Commentary of the day :
Julian of Norwich (1342-after 1416), recluse
Revelations of divine love, ch. 39 (trans. ©Classics of Western spirituality, 1978)
Julian of Norwich (1342-after 1416), recluse
Revelations of divine love, ch. 39 (trans. ©Classics of Western spirituality, 1978)
[When sinners acknowledge their sin], divine grace causes such great
contrition, compassion and true longing for God that the sinner, suddenly
delivered from sin and from pain, is raised up… By contrition we are made
clean, by compassion we are made ready, and by true longing for God we are
made worthy. These are three means, as I understand, through which all souls
come to heaven, those, that is to say, who have been sinners on earth and will
be saved. For every sinful soul must be healed by these medicines. Though he
be healed, his wounds are not seen by God as wounds but as honors. And as we
are punished here with sorrow and penance, in contrary fashion we shall
be rewarded in heaven by the courteous love of our almighty God… For he regards sin as sorrow and pains for his lovers, to whom for love he assigns no blame. The reward which we shall receive will not be small, but it will be great, glorious and honourable. And so all shame will be turned into honor and joy.
For our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair because they fall often and grievously; for our falling does not hinder him in loving us... He wants us so to take heed that he is the foundation of our whole life in love, and furthermore that he is our everlasting protector, and mightily defends us against all our enemies, who are very cruel and very fierce towards us, and so our need is great, the more so because by our falling we give them occasion.
be rewarded in heaven by the courteous love of our almighty God… For he regards sin as sorrow and pains for his lovers, to whom for love he assigns no blame. The reward which we shall receive will not be small, but it will be great, glorious and honourable. And so all shame will be turned into honor and joy.
For our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair because they fall often and grievously; for our falling does not hinder him in loving us... He wants us so to take heed that he is the foundation of our whole life in love, and furthermore that he is our everlasting protector, and mightily defends us against all our enemies, who are very cruel and very fierce towards us, and so our need is great, the more so because by our falling we give them occasion.
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