Thoughts for August 26

Today’s readings at Mass contain several images that are important and yet seem to conflict. I’d like to “throw them out” to you.

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” Scriptures are full of concern for the right way to worship, the right way to live, the right belief. How you worship, how you believe, how you live are all very important and are often described as a narrow path which we must strive to walk.

Scriptures are also full of stories and images and possibilities that warn us that there are many who consider themselves “slam dunk” candidates for salvation who will find themselves on the outside looking in. Didn’t we go to Mass every Sunday? Didn’t we believe the right things? Didn’t we say all the right words? Didn’t we do good works? And still the door is shut.

Scriptures are also filled with promises of the universality of salvation. “People will come from the east ad the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” I believe there will be Christians of all varieties of belief, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists and all sorts at the table. God’s call and desire for salvation is universal.

So how do we combine all these things? When I was in grade school, “Sister” said we should work as if everything depended on us and pray as if everything depended on God. St. John Eudes said: “It is not that we should make no use of the things I have mentioned, and bring to our aid everything we can to help us overcome our faults, practice virtue, manage and carry out the work God has put into our hands, and fulfill the duties of our station in life. But we must give up all idea of expecting support from these things, and all the confidence we might have in them, and rely entirely on the goodness of our Lord. For our part, therefore, we should take as much care and work as hard as if we expected nothing from God: and yet we should rely no more upon our own care and work than if we had done nothing at all, but look for everything solely from the mercy of God.