Reading 1
Eph 6:1-9
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honor your father and mother.
This is the first commandment with a promise,
that it may go well with you
and that you may have a long life on earth.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling,
in sincerity of heart, as to Christ,
not only when being watched, as currying favor,
but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
willingly serving the Lord and not men,
knowing that each will be requited from the Lord
for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
Masters, act in the same way towards them, and stop bullying,
knowing that both they and you have a Master in heaven
and that with him there is no partiality.
Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14
Responsorial PsalmR. (13c)
The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Gospel
Lk 13:22-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
Meditation: Ephesians 6:1-9
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Ephesians 6:1)
Very few parents would have any problem with Paul’s words here. We all know how important it is for their formation and protection that children learn how to submit to authority, to respect the wisdom of their elders, and to let their consciences be formed by the people who love them the most.
But while we would agree that obedience is an important and even necessary virtue, how many of us struggle with the concept of obedience to the Lord? Or the loving, mutual submission to each other that Paul places at the heart of the marriage covenant (Ephesians 5:21-28)?
It can be easy to look upon obedience as a burden or a restriction, as something that gets in the way of our freedom and development. But if we think about how important it is that children learn obedience, we can get a glimpse of how valuable it can be in our adult relationships as well.
At its heart, obedience is another facet of love. A husband and wife will submit to one another if they know that they can trust each other and that they are out for each other’s good. They will lay their lives down for each other because they want nothing more than to honor their partner and serve them. Likewise, we are far more willing to obey God’s commands as we come to experience his mercy, his grace, and his love in our lives. Remember: It was love that motivated Jesus to be obedient to his Father, just as it was love for us that motivated him to give up his life for us.
St. Catherine of Siena once wrote: “Oh how sweet and glorious is the virtue of obedience which contains all the other virtues! Because it is born of charity and on it the rock of holy faith is founded, it is a queen, and he who espouses it knows no evil, but only peace and rest.” May we all learn the peace and rest that comes from a life submitted to God and to each other!
“Lord, help me understand the value of obedience, and give me the grace to follow your example of humble submission. Lord, deepen my love for you so that I will submit my life to you more fully.”
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