Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C 2022

Title

The Discipline of Obedience

Outline

Why is the Church here?

One of the four duties of the Messiah was to gathering the tribes of Israel. But didn’t that happen both before and because of Pentecost? Luke says that Jews from the then-known world were in Jerusalem and heard the good news in their own languages. Surely most of them went back home after the feast and shared what they had heard. There is evidence of this in the New Testament: for example, the Church in Rome seems to have existed before either Peter or Paul arrived in Rome, probably from shortly after Pentecost. Then if the tribes heard, if the willing were gathered, why did the Church continue on earth? Why was it not gathered into the New Jerusalem with, say, the fall of the old Jerusalem?

Isaiah says that this is because God’s drama is wider than Israel

It includes “all nations and tongues”

It includes a mission to the far corners of the then-known world - “Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands which have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory”

It includes gathering at least the willing into a community, a community in the New Jerusalem

And, good news for those of us who are non-Jews, “Some of these I will take as priests and Levites,” read priests and religious

It is an exciting drama and explains 2000 years of the church, including recent calls to evangelism, but is this not difficult?

Yes, it is difficult. Being a faithful follower of Jesus and following him into mission is difficult.

I was a chaplain in the Army Reserve and I went through the officer basic course. Of course, this assumed we had survived years of college and seminary formation and had been formed into ministers. Now we were further formed into Army chaplains, intellectually, such, but also physically and personally - we learned military discipline and obeying orders, among other things.

We have all gone through formation. First came our basic formation as Christians, which was often not done thoroughly. So when God called us into our vocation, there was further formation, often including-catch-up formation. I cannot conceive of Mother Assumpta having told you that it will be so easy to become a Dominican Sisters - all ecstatic experiences and lovely meals and happy comradeship with totally compatible fellow-Sisters. I certainly realized from my reading of the saints, even as a Protestant, that I would need strict discipline and tough training.

Well, that is what Hebrews says, “You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?”

The good news is that you would not be here had you not endured a lot; the bad news is that it continues until we fully reflect the nature of Jesus.

But the mission is worth it.

So, Sisters, let us remember that Jesus warned us

He said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

Remember that God gives us the strength - his grace is sufficient - the issue is not all will follow his instruction or accept his grace.

So some will say, We went to church; we enjoyed being around you: “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.” He responds, “But you did not do what I told you - “Depart from me, all you evildoers!”

In Matthew’s version some claim prophetic inspiration and healing ministries - Jesus does not deny this claim, but he does deny they obeyed his teachings, they are evildoers.

God’s grace includes those farthest from the Church: “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.” There is nothing lacking in God’s grace. But he warns you and me that if we do not submit to his “narrow way,” his discipline, “you yourselves [will be] cast out”

So, Sisters, I keep this ever before my eyes. There is nothing lacking in God’s grace, but there may be a lot lacking in my submission, my allowing myself to be formed.

And you and I need to remember that we are part of a great drama, a great ingathering into the kingdom, but if we wish to get there on “clouds of ease” and avoid the disciple all children receive, we need to hear “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 8-21-2022: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Isaiah 66:18–21

18 I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; they shall come and see my glory. 19 I will place a sign among them; from them I will send survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands which have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your kin from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21 Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

Catholic Daily Readings 8-21-2022: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Mark 16:15

15 He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.

PSALM

Psalm 117:1, 2

1 Praise the LORD, all you nations!

Extol him, all you peoples!

2 His mercy for us is strong;

the faithfulness of the LORD is forever.

Hallelujah!

Catholic Daily Readings 8-21-2022: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13

5 You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:

“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord

or lose heart when reproved by him;

6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;

he scourges every son he acknowledges.”

7 Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?

11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

Catholic Daily Readings 8-21-2022: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

GOSPEL

Luke 13:22–30

22 He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 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.’ 26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27 Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where [you] are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 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. 29 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. 30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 8-21-2022: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR C | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Isaiah 66:18–21

Response Mark 16:15

Psalm Psalm 117:1, 2

Second Reading Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13

Gospel Acclamation John 14:6

Gospel Luke 13:22–30

Green