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.
What Jesus says in the Gospel text we have just heard was certainly just as disturbing to His listeners. He announces that people will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and will sit at the table in the Kingdom of God.
Even more surprising is His assertion that, in order to be admitted to the banquet, it does not matter so much whether one belongs to any institution, but rather that one faithfully follows His teaching. Thus, one can imagine that many will come and say, "Here I am, Lord! We know each other well, don't we? I have been a good Catholic all my life. I have been involved in several pious associations. I was a member of Catholic Action, the Children of Mary, the Neocatechumenate...or even, I was a monk for 30 years, etc..." The Lord might then say: I'm sorry, but I don't know you. You are not one of those who have lived according to my commandments of love and justice, compassion and forgiveness. I have heard of you, but I do not know you. You did not share your wealth with the poor. You were harsh in business and caused the ruin of many. You have not forgotten an insult or injustice that a brother or sister did to you twenty years ago. It is a pity, but you are not one of mine."
And we could also imagine that someone else might come who has never heard of Jesus, or perhaps someone who considers himself an atheist because he has rejected a false idea of God that was communicated to him. And Jesus might say to him, “Welcome to my kingdom.” That person will then say to Him. “You must be mistaken. You must be mistaking me for someone else. Don't you know that I'm not Catholic or that I left the Church when I was eighteen?” And Jesus will then say: "What's in your head doesn't matter to me. The fact is that your heart has always been with me. You have lived according to the values for which I lived and died. You have always known me, even though you may not have known my name. Welcome to my kingdom."
All this may seem outrageous to good Christians like us. But this is what Jesus taught.
The fact that God chose Israel did not imply any privilege. It simply gave the people of Israel a unique role in the universal plan of salvation—a salvation that is for all nations. Likewise, the fact that we have been chosen and called to be members of the Church, or even members of a monastic community, does not imply any privilege. It implies a mission.
We are all called to be authentic disciples of Christ. Being disciples of Christ means following in his footsteps and living according to his teaching. The Church is the community of all Christ's disciples who recognize themselves as such. If I am part of the Church but do not live according to Christ's teaching, I am not one of His disciples. My membership in the Church is meaningless. On the other hand, someone may not belong to the Church but be a true disciple of Christ, even if he has never heard of Him, because he lives according to the human and spiritual values for which Jesus lived and died. Throughout the world, there are millions of these anonymous Christians—as the great Catholic theologian Karl Rahner called them.
If we are, as I hope we are, all of us here present, both members of the Church and authentic disciples of Christ, that is, people who strive, despite our weaknesses, to live according to Christ's message, then we have a very great responsibility in God's plan of salvation for humanity. We have a responsibility to make known the person, name, and message of Christ around us, through our lives and our words.
Let us therefore see in today's Gospel not the gratifying assurance that we are part of a privileged few, but rather a reminder of the beautiful and demanding mission that is ours.
Armand VEILLEUX