Friars Corner: Are we being saved?

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

Isaiah 66:18-21;  Psalms117:1-2;  Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 12:49-53

There are a few themes this weekend. The new kingdom, ushered in by Jesus’s life, death and resurrection, is open and to be announced to all people of every nation. God excludes no one who is open to him. The question comes, are we open and willing to follow Jesus and his directives for life? There are different answers for different stages in what St. John Paul II calls our “lifetime continual conversion.”

When we or our parents made a commitment at Baptism to be a Christian, we received forgiveness for our past sins from Jesus, received many gifts and promises about this life and its rewards after our life on earth if we follow Jesus and his church. The sacraments we can continue to receive give us more of God’s power to live a good life on earth. Life has many challenges and God does discipline us to keep us going in the right direction, like any good parent.

In Luke’s gospel section today, Jesus is asked by a Jewish person if many will be saved at the end of life on earth. Jesus does not answer that question directly but with two stories. He said to enter God’s kingdom through the “narrow gate.”

Faith, hope and lovc

At baptism, we received three major gifts for our life, faith, hope and love. Belonging to the church Jesus founded and staying in it regularly is necessary. Even those who attend Sunday services may have some blind spots to evil things in our culture that we see often in the news: life, abortion, and ethnic and minorities biases. By our lives, we are all children of God no matter what our color or nation of origin. The second point of the gospel today is, urgency of following Jesus. None of us know when or how we shall die. Scripture says, be ready but not in a morbid way.

If we are faithful followers of Jesus, we are promised heaven in the next life. For Christians, heaven is far more than the planets up in the sky. It is not a physical place, another solar system or a “white hole in space.” It is a rewarding place for a faithful life on earth, a  radiant and glorious beauty surrounding the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with all of their angels in happiness forever. That is hard for us to imagine. Amen.

Who Jesus is to his faithful followers

These positive points are awesome.

Jesus is the light for us through the darkness and confusion of this life. You can read many “I Am” texts in St. John.

Jesus is our Way, True and New Life, John 14:1-5. We need God’s true plan amidst all the confusion.

Jesus is the light on our path, Psalm 119:115.

Jesus places a “fountain of living water” in us from our baptism, John 4:10-13.

Jesus offers us “daily bread” at the Eucharist Liturgy, John 6, the bread that came down from heaven.

Jesus is the vine, the divine power that energizes us each day to live his new life.

Jesus is our guide and shepherd, John 11:11 and 14.

Jesus is also the Resurrection and (new) Life, John 11:25.

As we stay closer to Jesus each day and walk with him in his light, we have these divine channels to empower us through the confusion and distraction of our lives, country and world. We must “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,”Hebrews 12:2. Then we have his blessed hope and assurance that we shall receive our eternal reward, being in God’s glorious kingdom with all the angels and saints forever, and ever. Amen! That is our eternal hope.

Have a blessed week filled with more faith, hope, joy and love,
+ Father Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com

(© 2019 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)

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Nancy Ward

Nancy Ward writes about conversion, Christian community, and Catholicism. After earning a journalism degree, she worked for the Diocese of Dallas newspaper and the Archbishop Sheen Center for Evangelization, then began her own editing service. She’s a regular contributor to CatholicMom.com, SpiritualDirection.com, CatholicWritersGuild.com, NewEvangelizers.com and a contributing author to The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion. Now, through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips, and Testimonies workshops, retreats, book, and DVD, she shares her conversion story at Catholic parishes and conferences, equipping others to share their own stories.

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