Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Many From East And West
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
Our destiny in life is to be images of Christ, people who resemble him more and more. If we are open to the Spirit, he will help us to become more and more like Christ and he will pray in us.
For disciples of Christ, it is not enough to know about the Lord or to come to Mass to eat with the Lord or to read the Bible. As Jesus tells us in many ways throughout the gospel, we must live as his disciples and put his word into practice. Otherwise it is as if we did not know him and he does not know us.
Opening Prayer
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We know that there are poor people
and that there are people suffering
from injustice and the hard-heartedness of others.
Do not allow us to remain indifferent to their plight
but give us the courage to share with the needy
and to be the voice of the voiceless.
Make our faith deep and committed,
that you may recognize us
as real brothers and sisters,
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (6a) My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.
Look, answer me, O LORD, my God!
Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death
lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him”;
lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.
R. My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation;
let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”
R. My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus traveled through towns and villages, teaching as he headed toward Jerusalem.
Someone asked him:
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
And Jesus answered:
“Do your best to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
When once the master of the house has gone inside and locked the door, you will stand outside. Then you will knock on the door,” calling, ‘Lord, open to us!’ But he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’
Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets!’
But he will reply, ‘I don’t know where you come from. Away from me, all you workers of evil.’
You will cry and grind your teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, while you yourselves are left outside.
Others will sit at the table in the kingdom of God, coming from the east and west, from the north and south.
Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last!”
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the Church, that it may never stop proclaiming the gospel to all peoples, languages and cultures, we pray:
– For the unity of all Christians, that they may not remain enclosed within their particularities and human traditions but may enrich one another in Christ, we pray:
– For our Christian communities, that we may be united; that no one is made to feel a stranger among us and that we may be open to one another and to all, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Our loving God,
let this bread and wine
that we bring before you
be tokens and strong affirmations
that we are ready to share our food and joy
with those who need them.
Let our love and generosity
become a way of saying thanks to you
for everything you have given us
freely and abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Generous God,
your Son Jesus has let us eat and drink with him
and he has spoken to us his message of life.
We have eagerly listened to him.
Help us now to live eagerly by his words
and to learn from him to open our doors and our hearts
to anyone who appeals to us,
that you may also open the door to us
when we knock and ask you to admit us
into your home of everlasting joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
The message of Jesus is good news for everyone. May it also become and remain good news for each of us when we put our heart in it by putting it into practice. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
29 October 2025
Luke 13: 22-30
In today’s Gospel, someone asks Jesus a striking question: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” The man probably assumed that salvation belonged automatically to the Jews, while the Gentiles would be shut out. But Jesus’ reply must have come as a shock—not only to him, but to all of us.
Jesus makes it clear that entry into the Kingdom of God is not automatic. Salvation is a gift, yes, but it requires our response—a lifelong struggle, a daily striving. The word Jesus uses for “strive” is the same root as “agony.” It suggests a real effort, a struggle of the heart and soul.
Here lies a danger for us: sometimes we imagine that once we have said “yes” to Jesus, we can sit back, relax, and consider the journey finished. But discipleship is never about standing still. It is like climbing a mountain: every day requires another step upward until we reach the peak - God. On the grave of a mountaineer, the following words were written: “He died climbing.” That is what a Christian life should look like.
Jesus also warns us not to rest on borrowed faith. Some in the Gospel say, “We ate and drank in your company, and you taught in our streets.” But external closeness to Christ is not the same as an interior friendship with him. We cannot rely on the faith of our ancestors or on the Christian culture around us. God’s standards are not ours.
Today, the Lord calls us to keep climbing, to keep striving, to never grow content with a lukewarm faith. Let us ask for the grace to walk each day with Jesus—so that when the door is opened, he will know us as friends.
Entry Requirements
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a 1989 science fiction comedy film, wherein an invention by a scientist accidentally shrinks the kids to miniature sizes. Perhaps it is we adults who need to shrink ourselves, and consciously so, if we are to pass through the “narrow door.” If our souls have become too obese feasting on the “world” (in the Johannine sense), we might want to fast a bit so as to be to fit the size of the entry door to the Kingdom. For our souls to reach a manageable size, as we saw yesterday, we do not need superhuman aerobics: it is enough to do the little things in life with faithfulness. Paul suggests a few such simple exercises: honour your parents, be a good example to your children, do your duties with commitment, do good, respect one another, and fear the Lord. In other words, take care of the Commandments, and the Beatitudes will be yours.
Luke 13: 22-30
Letting go of ego and pride is our narrow door
Today’s Gospel speaks of the importance of striving to enter the Kingdom of Godthrough the narrow door. Many will seek to enter but won't succeed, as Jesus cautions that simply having superficial knowledge of Him is insufficient. true discipleship requires an inner transformation and a life that reflects the values of God’s Kingdom.
Fr. Richard Rohr reflects on the need for inner transformation in the spiritual journey. He teaches that the “narrow door” represents the path of, and self-centeredness. He emphasizes that true spiritual growth is about surrendering to God's will and embracing humility, compassion, and love. The narrow door is not about exclusivity, but about the depth of our commitment to live authentically as followers of Christ, letting go of what separates us from God and others.
Pope Francis reminds us that in a world marked by divisions and exclusions, we Christians are to live the Gospel by welcoming the marginalized, loving our neighbour, and working for justice. Many are left outside the doors of society—refugees, the poor, the excluded. We mustensure that our faith opens doors rather than closes them.
The Gospel of the narrow door calls us to deeper conversion. We are invited to examine our lives and ask how we can live more authentically, embracing the radical love and inclusivity of Christ. As we strive to enter through the narrow door, we participate in the transformation of the world, bringing God’s constant presence into our lives.