"If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, compromises on principles are the streetlights."

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” ― Robert Frost: (1874 – 1963: was an American poet)

Gospel Text: (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."

Sin enters into the serving of Christ when it is used as a means of self-aggrandizement or to line pockets with “green.” While such people may perform well their hearts remain focused on themselves. They dazzle audiences with their cleverness and charisma and say only what pleases the listeners—denying or downplaying sin, rationalizing wrongdoings, emphasizing God’s love while failing to mention God’s irrevocable truths and the justice by which we must live. Theirs is the “wide door” against which Christ speaks.

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I think faith is the small mustard seed of opportunities every day. For example, 'Am I going to love this person? Am I going to share my faith with this person? Am I going to pray that little prayer?' It really is a daily thing where you seize those little mustard seed opportunities and then see what God does.

“Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a mustard seed, so small you can hardly see it. But if you will put that little faith in the person of Jesus, your life will be changed. He will come with supernatural power into your heart. It can happen to you.” – William Franklin Graham 1918 –2018: was an American evangelist)

Gospel Text: (LK 13:18-21)

Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"

Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

It takes painstaking patience to wait for seeds to grow.

Usually, we don’t even see the end product.

You will likely never see the tree that comes from most of the seeds you plant. As St. Paul puts it, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Sometimes, he says, you only see the fruit when you are at the judgment seat of God.

Keep scattering seeds anyway. 

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God is making more out of them than you can imagine.

The wizard of Oz says look inside yourself and find self. God says look inside yourself and find the Holy Spirit. The first will get you to Kansas. The latter will get you to heaven. Take your pick. – No offense to Kansas!

Beautiful is the moment in which we understand that we are no more than an instrument of God; we live only as long as God wants us to live; we can only do as much as God makes us able to do; we are only as intelligent as God would have us be.– Saint Óscar Romero: (1917 – 1980: was a prelate of the Catholic Church in El Salvador who served as the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador.)

Scripture Text: (EPH 4:32–5:8)

Brothers and sisters:
Be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones,
no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,
but instead, thanksgiving.
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,
that is, an idolater,
has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,
for because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
So do not be associated with them.
For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light. 

In Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are called to imitate God and to live in love by being kind, compassionate and forgiving. The Scripture message today is very poignant for all that has been occurring in our cities, states, country and throughout the world. The message of Saint Paul and Jesus’ Law of Love is needed to refocus us on what is truly important. Kindness, compassion and forgiveness are tools we can use to diminish hatred. The Scriptures call us to be that instrument of the law of Love, to be “imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love”.

How can we be instruments of God’s love to others?

“Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. - The way to trouble God is not to come at all.”

Without the art of persistence, there can be no gold at the end of the rainbow. ...although the building blocks of the art of persistence are basic, it takes a special determination in order to bring the pieces of the puzzle in place. But, we all have what it takes to see things through in our lives. We can all master the art of persistence if we really put our hearts into it.  - R.L. Adams: (An American writer & entrepreneur)

Gospel Text: (MK 10:46-52)

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

Though the bystanders scolded Bartimaeus as he cried out to Jesus, Bartimaeus persisted with even louder cries for help from Jesus. Jesus taught us about the importance of persistent prayer: "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks." (Mt 7: 7- 8)

Do we trust our Father in heaven? Do we have any doubt about the Father's love and care for each one of us?