Indeed, we who are walking humbly in righteousness and in the presence of the Lord, who love mercy, then the Spirit of Christ lives within us. His Holy Spirit helps us in every aspect of our lives. Even when we do not know how to pray or how to go about prayer, the Spirit of Christ within us prays for us, according to His will.
When we decide to follow after Him, to listen and do His Word and will for us, then truly, we are His disciples. We are children of God, our Heavenly Father. We do not have to worry when we call out to Him, Lord, Lord. The door will already be open for us, because we have chosen the narrow way.
We know that even amidst difficulties and challenges of walking the path of the narrow way, we are following after the way, the truth and the life. Amen.
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First reading
Romans 8:26-30 ·
The Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words
The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.
We know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.
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Gospel
Luke 13:22-30
The last shall be first and the first last
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’
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