27 October 2021
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
The question of who will be saved and what is necessary for salvation recalled in today’s gospel has been the cause of countless controversies, and perhaps for good reason. If one takes seriously the idea that we will be judged at the end of time and that judgement will be in light of our actions we are thrown into an understandable panic, not unlike the panic that engulfed Martin Luther. As we approach “reformation Sunday” the last Sunday in October that commemorates Luther’s 95 thesis (whether he nailed them or mailed them is still a debate) we should recall a few points from the Catholic position. First, it has never been taught that we are saved by our works. In fact, The Council of Trent declared that this was incorrect teaching. We are saved by the work of Christ, and we participate in that saving work by supporting that same body of Christ. Works are not the cause of salvation; they are the consequential actions in light of that salvation. So of course, the question falls back to am I doing enough to respond to God’s salvation. Here again it is best to consider the story of the Prodigal Son and the parable of the lost sheep. We do the best we can to align ourselves to what Christ has instituted by means of his Church to help us move towards God the father and we count on God’s mercy when we fall short. We also should remember yesterday’s reading that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, and we may be tempted to try to build a large edifice, akin to the tower of Babel, when what we need to do is build up the kingdom of God in the smallest of ways that we may have ignored.