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(24th August 2025) Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Isa 66:18-21; Heb 12: 5-7, 11-13; Lk 13: 22-30)

REFLECT: Discipline to be Disciples of Christ…

Dear friends, we are on the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings of the day help us to discipline ourselves to be true Disciples of Christ. We all know that to  discipline is to train or develop by instruction and exercise, especially in self-control. Someone has appropriately said, “Discipline offers people with rules and regulations to live their lives efficiently and effectively. When you have discipline in your life you can make small sacrifices in the present for a better life in the future. Discipline creates habits, habits make routines, and routines become who you are daily.” Yes, all the more disciplines are set or practiced in order that we may live a quality life enriching ourselves and others as well. The purpose of discipline in life is to be well-mannered or harmonious life and not be merely extremists of rules and regulation. The liturgy of the word invites each one of us to understand how discipline is important as disciples of Christ and deepen our relationship with God. So based on the reading, I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1. The Lord Disciplines:

We hear in the book of Proverbs, “God disciplines us just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights,” (Prov 3:12). Yes, the Lord takes delight in disciplining us because God loves us purely and wants us to be His children by following his commands. The phrase, ‘the Lord disciplines’ would mean that God teaches, corrects, guides, moulds, shapes, directs us and permits us with challenging things to happen, so that we amend our lives and become transformed persons as God wants. God by disciplining us shapes our character and draws us closer to him. Something similar, we find in the first reading of the day.

The first reading from Prophet Isaiah we hear that God disciplines the ways of pagan nations united against him. That’s why God says through prophet Isaiah, “I know their works and thoughts, I will gather all nations and tongues, I will set a sign among them, I will send the survivors to the nations and make them declare my glory to the nations, and they shall bring offering to the Lord just as the Israelites brought grain offering to the house of the Lord.” Here the Lord sets in what ways the Lord would make the pagan nations conduct themselves before Him. Although the pagan nations were against God, he does not reject them out rightly or permanently, rather he gives them opportunity to come back to God, disciplines them and draws them towards him.  It also reveals that God is impartial and does not only desire the salvation of Jewish nations rather than interested in the welfare and salvation of all, including the pagan nations. It is a call to universal salvation, the salvation of all. Anyone can be part of God’s plan of salvation, provided one is ready to change ways and means according to God’s ways. That’s what we could call as God disciplines his people.

What we need to note here is that prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse, how God himself is directly involved in making known to pagans the ways to live well. He covers them with love and helps us to discover true meaning in life. He lays before them an open invitation to realize God’s presence and transcend every boundary and divisions that only would hinder our coming to him. Let us realize and understand that God does not create any divisions based on wealth or poverty; God does not lay down norms to burden us but to lighten our burdens to walk rightly and steadily. God gives us commandments and teachings to discipline us for a life worthy in his sight as his children and a life admirable in the sight of one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Today, how do we consider the norms or commandments or teachings of God in the bible or God’s ways and means of salvation of us all? What about the norms in the society or in a community? Most often we consider them a burden but if we could look at it with a right attitude, the ways and the means of salvation that God gives, the norms and terms are only for a disciplined life to discern our vocation to answer the call of God. Therefore, a well disciplined and dedicated life in God deserves recognition and approval. God loves all regardless of our unworthiness, weakness and wrong doings. The Lord is ever ready and willing to accommodate us all under one roof to become part of the heavenly family created for us all. Let us then allow ourselves to be disciplined by God and live life as his children.

2. Discipline sharpens life:

Someone has very beautifully said, “Discipline sharpens life, if we are careful enough to handle difficulties of life.” Yes, discipline is like a sharpened knife that cuts finely; that’s effective and productive for its use; it is pointed and has clarity of its functions; it makes life more meaningful and focused. The discipline of life proves itself well in how we handle our situations in a moment of crisis and chaos of life, because life definitely has if’s and buts’. However, discipline helps us grow through without giving consent to temptations and obstacles; it helps us to stay tuned and consistent in the practice of good discipline. That’s what the second reading of the day speaks about.

The second reading from the letter to the Hebrews invites us to reflect on how important discipline is in life. We know how difficult it is to be disciplined, because we have to go through a hard and painful sharpening to be disciplined from time to time. It may call us for a little sacrifice, accept shameful fate but if we discipline life, life becomes happier. Let us be clear that discipline is not merely following the rules and regulation rather holding on to it steadily, even when things become harder to practice. That’s what we hear in the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews too; “do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, the Lord disciplines the one he loves and purifies them, the father does all things to discipline the children, the discipline is a painful process but if one trains to be disciplined persons he or she produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Yes, no parents would wish their sons or daughters to be a wayward or prodigal child. Every parent wishes that the child develops discipline and shows dedication and commitment in life. That’s what the Lord wants us to be. A disciplined life will make us true Disciples of Christ and make others as well follow the ordinances and teachings of Christ. Today, what we lack is this self-discipline. We just live life with current trends of the world as people with a crowd mentality do, moving as others move, not knowing what we are doing and where we are heading towards. We don’t even give a second thought to ask where, what, how I make a move myself. I am sure, a disciplined person will know what is his/her responsibility and purpose in life. So let us be disciplined to be a disciple of Christ and harvest the fruit of peaceful righteousness in life. Just like a pencil that is sharpened to make the writing or the drawing legible and visible, so also let us discipline our lives to sharpen life’s focus better by being true Disciples of Christ.

3. Be open to discipline

Our lives become more comfortable and convenient, joyful and successful, when we are open to discipline ourselves in the ordinances and statutes of the Lord. We hear someone ask a question in the gospel “Is it few who will be saved?” But Jesus answers, “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many will seek to enter but will not be able to.” Here Jesus talks of a narrow door through which everyone cannot enter at a time. Why is there a striving or a struggle to enter the narrow door?  A narrow door makes it difficult for many to walk or go through, because the space cannot hold many. Even if it holds, one needs to squeeze through and struggle to pass by. In the narrow door, the one who comes first and fast will be able to go through and get through. Those who are slow and sluggish won’t make it as they lack true spirit, proper discipline and disposition. It is like ‘first come first serve basis’; In a narrow door, we have to fit ourselves accordingly to walk inside, we cannot walk any how one wants. So, it calls for a proper disposition and discipline of life. Thus, a well disposed and well-disciplined life will be good enough to enter through the narrow door.

Today, we need to remind ourselves to walk through the narrow door; in order to walk through the narrow door; we need not necessarily have a narrow mind or crooked ways.  For with a narrow and crooked mind, even the narrow door would be tough to enter. The narrow door is a door of discipline and disposition. All the more, at the end of the Gospel reading of the day Jesus says, “Some are last will be first and first will be last.” It reminds us of the proper disposition and discipline that’s required for greatness, that is, humility of heart. It was already pointed out to us by Jesus himself, “those who are humbled will be exalted and those exalted will be humbled,” (Matt 23:12). The humility of heart is required to reach great heights in life. It happens only when we discipline ourselves according to God’s ways and dispose of ourselves according to God’s will.

Oftentimes it happens with us that we with a narrow and crooked mind try to justify ourselves that we did this and that; therefore, I deserve more or better things in life. But let us realize that God does not think the way we think. A well-disciplined and disposed life in accordance with God’s teaching and commands will make us enter the narrow door, however difficult it may be. So let us understand and strive to enter through the narrow door. The door may be narrow but it is never closed, the door is open for all and one who enters is saved or find prosperity in life. So let us ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the opportunity in the narrow door and reach the destination that God has set for us.

Indeed, Pope Leo has very powerfully declared and acknowledged with gratitude the words and works of late Pope Francis to build bridges with dialogue and encounter for peace in our world. And so, Pope Leo reminds us of the nature and functions of discipleship saying, “We are Disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace. Thank you Pope Francis!” Yes, God has opened many ways of reaching him. The main door that God has opened for us is ‘Jesus’, the way, the truth and life. So let us walk towards him as disciples, I am sure, Jesus would discipline us to enter the door that leads to eternal life.

RESPOND:

Do I allow the Lord to discipline my life or disorient my life in destruction?

Do I feel that discipline sharpens life or get carried away by the painful sharpening of the discipline in daily life?

Do I strive to enter through the narrow door for eternal life in God or possess a narrow mind or a crooked mind that dissuades us from God?

Let us discipline ourselves to be a disciple of Christ and discern our call to living human life and religious life worthily and joyfully. Amen.

“It is foolishness to order a horse not to become fat, not to grow, not to kick: if you wish all these, then put him in a stall; we should not command him, but stop giving him oats in order to tame him.” (St. Francis De Sales, TLG, Book-1, Chapter -2)

God bless us all! Live Jesus!