21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Sunday August 21, 2022
Mass Readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
- First Reading – Isaiah 66:18-21: “I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 117: “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”
- Second Reading –Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13: “Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.”
- Gospel – Luke 13:22-30: “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.”
Themes for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
The readings for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year C help us consider who can be saved. In the first reading we learn that God desires to draw all people to Him. In the second reading Paul encourages us to stay on the straight paths. In the gospel Jesus tells us that we must strive to reach heaven. It is not easy!
- Eternal life
- Putting effort into our spiritual journey
- Evangelizing all people
- The universal blessing
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
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Resources for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Guide Me to Heaven Game
Guide Me to Heaven is a game which helps youth understand the importance of clear instructions and helping each other stay on the right path. It goes well with a meeting focused on friends or the teaching of the Church.
Homilies and Reflections for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
The Narrow Gate
From Bishop Robert Barron. To gain eternal life is to participate to the fullest degree possible in the very life of God. It is to walk the path of love, surrendering to grace and allowing this grace to flow through you to the wider world. Is this an easy task? No.
Bishop Barron on Who Can Be Saved?
Do only Christians go to heaven?
Gateway to Life
From Scott Hahn. Jesus doesn’t answer the question put to Him in this Sunday’s Gospel. It profits us nothing to speculate on how many will be saved. What we need to know is what He tells us today—how to enter into salvation and how urgent it is to strive now, before the Master closes the door.
The Narrow Door
Jeff Cavins discusses what Christ means when he says we must walk through the narrow door to be saved.
Do All Good People go to Heaven?
Good people go to heaven when they die, right? Well, according to the Gospels, not exactly. Fr. Mike Schmitz points to at least four things Christ says we need for salvation.
More Thoughts for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Following Jesus is not easy. We will struggle. We must train ourselves to grow strong for the task. But why is it so difficult?
Look at the people who followed Jesus in his time. They were attracted to his message of love. He healed people and promised a better world. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? But then he started talking about taking up a cross. When he indicated that discipleship was also going to be hard, then some people turned away. Only those who really knew and loved him stayed around.
The people who left, or even ended up opposing Jesus, did not want to really be his disciples. Jesus preached doing the Father’s will as his mission and the mission of his disciples. But some people had their own agendas. They wanted to be healed. Or they wanted to be rid of the Romans. Or they wanted to be freed from some of the oppressive religious practices of the day. They didn’t want the whole package, which included the cross.
We can also have our own agendas in our faith life. Maybe we see Christianity as a platform for changing laws for the better. Or perhaps we just want to belong to a community. Or we just love the Church and all it stands for. These are not bad things, but there is more to discipleship than that. We must really know and follow Jesus. There are going to be rough spots along the way. We must be willing to make some sacrifices. And that will require effort.
Reflection Questions for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
- How am I making a conscious effort in my faith life?
- What are some difficulties I have encountered in following Jesus?
- Is there someone in my life who needs some encouragement in their faith journey?
Quotes and Social Media Graphics for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.