Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lk 13:22-30
August 21, 2022

Sore knees and locked doors!

These Readings seem like they are directed at me personally. I definitely have sore knees. And, as my neighbors and friends…and even the local locksmith will testify…over the years, I have REPEATEDLY lost my keys, or left them sitting on the kitchen counter as I thoughtlessly closed and locked the front door.

I could go on for pages describing the numerous times I have locked myself out of my own house…or church…or parish office. The experiences make for funny stories that are good for a laugh or two…now…years later. But there is nothing funny about being locked out when it’s happening. It is a frustrating waste of time, and nothing short of maddening. I recall the time I ran to the mailbox in January without a coat…” lockouts” can even be dangerous. Still…nothing could possibly compare with the experience of being “locked out” of the Kingdom of God. That is an infinitely tragic thought.

The Second Reading really hits home as well.

St. Paul repeatedly uses the word “discipline” to make the point that if there is no pain, there is no gain! If I only had a nickel for every time a physical therapist or sports trainer or doctor has used those or similar words to encourage me to do the homework…stretch before bed…stretch when you wake up…walk…get out of the recliner…keep moving…exercise!

And I do.

Occasionally.

When I think about it.

If I have the time.

It sure is easy to find a reason (excuse) not to be “disciplined.”

I am not trying to be glib about a very serious message made clear by the several examples in the Gospel and reinforced by St. Paul. Salvation is nothing to be taken lightly. It requires work.

Our Readings can be unnerving, if not downright frightening. I suspect they are meant to be…and not just for me. Whether or not a person suffers from “sore knees or locked doors,” it is wise for everyone to listen attentively to the cautionary tone of these passages! The message is a stark reminder of what is at stake…ETERNAL JOY!

It helps to take the sting out of an otherwise alarming “warning” about salvation, if we jump back to the First Reading. Isaiah explains God’s intentions to invite everyone in. Can this mean that somehow, some way, there is an “open door policy?”

A truly comforting note to the passage is the assurance that God knows our works and our thoughts! (Comforting, that is, if our intentions are good and sincere, and we at least make an effort to live a Gospel life.)

Doesn’t this mean that God knows when we try? Try to stay disciplined? Try to do the work of discipleship? Try to stretch our spiritual selves so that we are stronger, fitter, and more resilient as we face the challenges of life?

And if Isaiah has properly reported God’s desire for universal salvation, shouldn’t we expect that God is always nearby to coax us out of our recliners? Isn’t God, somehow, some way, always there, helping us to “strengthen our drooping hands and our weak knees” …healing us with grace…and guiding us on a path that, in spite of our limitations and weaknesses, we are able to travel?

And if, per chance, we arrive to find that we are “locked out,” is that the end of our story? On the numerous occasions when I have found myself on the wrong side of a locked door…I certainly don’t just give up and walk away. I keep trying things until I gain access.

Few people are so well disciplined that they can confidently walk up to the gates of the Kingdom and enter without knocking. But if, per chance, upon arrival, the door is barred, and pounding and shouting isn’t working…possibly the key is to simply whisper in all sincerity: I AM SORRY! I REALLY DID TRY!

God knows our works and our thoughts! If we have perfect contrition…the doors might just open. But the better plan is to live the life of a disciplined disciple…at least as best we can.