August 24, 2025 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30
Homily
The poem from the book of Isaiah, which we heard as the first reading, is one of the most surprising “universalist” texts in the entire Old Testament. To the people of Israel, convinced that they are God's chosen people and the sole recipients of all the privileges of salvation, Isaiah announces that God will send His messengers to all nations and that people from all nations will come to worship in Jerusalem.