The Road of Salvation

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday of 30th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, October 27th, 2021
Texts: Romans 8:26-30; Ps. 13:4-5.6-7; Luke 13:22-30
Today's gospel reading says, "Jesus went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem." Jesus was journeying towards Jerusalem where He would end His ministry and embrace His passion. In Jerusalem Jesus was crucified, died, buried and resurrected. Just like Jesus, journeying towards death, we are also journeying towards death. We may ask the question: what am I doing on the journey? For Jesus, He was teaching about the kingdom of God, He was giving the message of salvation and setting people free from the power of evil ones. Some of us are busy amassing wealth, some of us are  busy fighting for positions and powers, some of us are seeking honour and fame, some of us are busy oppressing the poor, some of us are busy perpetrating injustice and evil, some of us are busy siphoning public funds, some of us are busy gathering certificates, etc. The question is so important that we need to ask it again: what am I doing as I am journeying towards my Jerusalem? What we should be doing as we are journeying towards our own Jerusalem is feeding of the hungry, quenching one another's thirst, clothing the naked, visiting the prison and the destitute, caring for the sick, teaching the ignorant, setting free the oppressed, defending the defenseless, consoling the sorrowful, reviving the depressed, etc; we should be sharing love as we are journeying towards our Jerusalem (Mtt. 25:31-46).
Jesus tells us, today, that to gain salvation we have to go by the narrow road. No one wants to go by narrow road. We are not told that the road is rough but that it is narrow. Because it is narrow it must have been abandoned by many. The road can only accommodate few. This means we are not to follow the multitude. There is a latin adage that goes thus: "ubi peccata ibi est multitudo" (Where sin is, there is multitude). That the road is narrow also means it is challenging, not an easy road; it is not for those who are looking for comfort. Living a Christian life is not for those seeking comfort. The road to salvation entail enduring discomfort, making sacrifices. Walking by narrow road also entails travelling light, taking off of load and going along with what is necessary. This means the road to salvation requires detachment. We need detachment to fit to travel on the narrow road.
St. Paul reminds us, today, of the words of our Lord, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you an advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you" (John 14:15-17). The Spirit is our advocate. Today, St. Paul tells us how the Spirit helps us. He says, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words." The problem, here, is that we do not know how to pray. Then, the question is: how should we pray? We do not know how to pray because of human weakness. Perhaps, the flesh often takes better part of us when we pray. Sometimes, we think it is by shouting that God hears us. Sometimes, we think the effectiveness of our prayers is dependent on the kind of words we use. Prayer is a spiritual thing; it is the matter of the spirit, not of the body. The Spirit helps us to present our desires to God.
The Spirit intercedes for us better because He knows our true good and communicate it in a manner too deep for words. We can see, here, contemplative prayer; a way of praying that is not dependent on words. God who knows the heart of man knows what the Spirit says. In the words of St. Paul: "And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." The Spirit presents before God the longing and sighs of our hearts,  which is our true good. God who always works for the good of those who love Him will always accept the intercession of the Spirit. As Christians we have been called according to His purpose. Whatever we ask for the fulfilment of His purpose, He will grant it. For what purpose God has called us? He answers thus: "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren." The purpose is to be conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

God our Father, grant us the heart to travel by the narrow road and may we not be deprived of the help of Your Spirit as we are journeying towards You. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke