Missive

I was pleased and blessed last Sunday to celebrate with our parish communities our young people who are finally graduating.  Graduation is an exciting doorway into the next phase of life.  I trust that all will join me in praying for all our young people as they head out into a new and wider world.

This week we come to the end of our series of Gospel readings featuring from St. Matthew featuring the parables.  It is a fitting place to end this series as the whole of it has been focused in a particular way on wisdom as the means by which we come to see our salvation in Christ; and now it ends with an opportunity to consider the ultimate worth of that salvation which is offered to us in Christ.

As I speak to people, from the very young to the very old, there is no question that, when asked, nearly all will quickly affirm their desire for heaven.  The difficult thing we all come up against is how badly do I really want it?  Put another way, “what am I willing to do to attain it?  How much effort will I put into it?”

Now, please note I am not suggesting that our effort / response is ultimately the means of our salvation: the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ (the Paschal Mystery) is ultimately the means of our salvation.  However, where God has issued an invitation, and made the trip possible, there is still a response required of us.  We must always understand that we do not deserve entry into heaven; we cannot earn our way into heaven.  Our entry has been purchased for us with Christ’s own blood, the blood of the Paschal Lamb from heaven.  For our part, we must receive this gift into our hearts by receiving Him who paid that price – who suffered, died, and rose again for us.

So, we find ourselves reflecting on whether or not we are going to accept that invitation.  The way that invitation is to be accepted has been clearly laid out for us.  We need only to have the humility to accept that invitation according to God’s wise plan, and the fortitude and focus to see that choice through each and every day.

     Pray well!