21st Sunday C 2025
August 24, 2025, St Ignatius 12:00
Maybe you’ve heard a well-known story about the little boy Emilio who approached Pope Francis in tears, asking if his father was in heaven. “He was a very good man,” the boy explained. “He did not go to church, but he had his children baptized.” Pope Francis answered: “If he were a good man, I’m sure he’s in heaven.” Then a little girl named Caterina asked the very question that we heard in today’s gospel: “Are there many people in heaven?” Pope Francis answered, “Let’s leave that up to God.”
After giving these examples in a homily some years ago, an English lady approached me angrily, saying that she’s working hard to have her Japanese husband baptized, “But now,” she said, “Pope Francis is letting everyone get into heaven regardless of how they lived.” Well, no, it’s not, regardless of how they lived. That was the point the Pope made when he said to Emilio, “If he were a good man, I’m sure he’s in heaven.”
Let me share with you a joke I heard about heaven. A good Protestant Christian arrives at the gates of heaven and is met by St Peter. St Peter welcomes him, saying, “Come on in and I’ll show you around.” So they tour the major areas with large crowds of good people from various countries and various religions. Then the new arrival sees a big wall. There seem to be many people behind the wall talking together and enjoying themselves. Who are those people?” he asks. St Peter replies: “Oh, those are the Catholics who think they’re the only ones here in heaven.”
In the Gospel, Jesus is speaking to people who have been taught that they are God’s “chosen people.” Just because you are Abraham’s descendants, Jesus says, that is not enough to assure you a place in heaven. That’s not a free pass. Just because we have been baptized and are called Christian—even if we have listened to Jesus’ teaching in church and have eaten the sacred bread he gives us—that is not enough to assure us a place in heaven, if we have not been good people—if we have not loved and respected others just as much as we should love and respect ourselves.
I think that’s what Jesus means by the “narrow gate.” It’s a very simple but strict norm. Another word for it is “compassion.” Overcoming selfishness and having a feeling for the people around us and even for the very environment in which we live—that’s the basis of all morality, Christian or otherwise. If we don’t have the type of understanding and compassion for others that Jesus had, we will find ourselves at the end of the line, and maybe the door will be shut before we reach it. As the Gospel says, “You will stand outside knocking and saying ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will say in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’” In this sense, some who are first will be last and some who are last will be first in the kingdom of God.
These are things we don’t like to hear, but as the introduction to today’s gospel in the leaflet says, “All those who live the life of Christ, wherever they come from, are admitted into the kingdom.” Or, look back at Isaiah’s promise in the first reading: “I come to gather nations of every language. They shall come and see my glory.” And he mentions the criterion for judgment: “I know their works and their thoughts.” We will be evaluated by what we think and what we have done. Or, to paraphrase Pope Francis, “If they were good people, I’m sure they’re in heaven.”
But let’s remind ourselves that God is always eager to welcome us, just as the father of the prodigal son was eager to welcome his son when he returned. He did not scold him or ask embarrassing questions. That’s how God, our Father, is—always embracing us in his compassionate love, understanding us in our weakness and giving us the grace to be receptive and compassionate toward our family, our daily companions, and those who need our love and concern. And let’s remember that Jesus taught us also to love our enemies and pray for them, that they too may wake up to the love of God and learn to respect and be compassionate to their fellow human beings. May they, too, enter through that narrow gate!
Compassion is the only true road toward peace in the world. If only government leaders would have a feel for the great suffering they are inflicting on real people around the world, they might think less about their own egotistical desire for personal or nationalistic power and pride! Let’s ask for the gift of compassionate hearts to hasten the coming of God’s kingdom on earth.
By Robert Chiesa, SJ