August 22, 2010
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Is 66:18-21

Thus says the LORD:
I know their works and their thoughts,
and I come to gather nations of every language;
they shall come and see my glory.
I will set a sign among them;
from them I will send fugitives to the nations:
to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan,
to the distant coastlands
that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory;
and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations
as an offering to the LORD,
on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries,
to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD,
just as the Israelites bring their offering
to the house of the LORD in clean vessels.
Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

R. (Mk 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Praise the LORD all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Brothers and sisters,
You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
Endure your trials as “discipline”;
God treats you as sons.
For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?
At the time,
all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

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.”

Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:

The Loving Programmer says:  I know what the human programs are doing and thinking, and I will gather nations of every human programming language;  they will come and see how glorious I am.  I will set a sign (Jesus Christ, The Living Program in perfect, human form, crucified for them) where they will all see it.  Those who flee to me, (like St. Paul and the disciples) I will send all over the world, even to people who've never heard of or seen My programming power (and who may not even know that I have programmed both the humans and the rest of The Creation Program).  Those I send will tell people how powerful I am, and they shall bring all those who are to be saved from every nation as an offering to Me.  They will ride on horses, in chariots, carts, on mules, camels (trains, planes) to Jerusalem, My holy mountain, says The Programmer of All, coming in just as the (believers from the twelve tribes) bring their offerings to My House in clean vessels.  Some of these, though of different tribes, I will take as (My) priests and chosen ones (specifically referring to the celibate, RC priesthood).

Tell the human programs everywhere on the Earth Program the good news that they may be saved.

Praise He Who programmed you and all, all you peoples (who will be saved)

Tell the human programs everywhere on the Earth Program the good news that they may be saved.

The Loving Programmer's kindness for us will not change.  He will love us human programs forever.

Tell the human programs everywhere on the Earth Program the good news that they may be saved.

My fellow free-will programs, you have forgotten your early operating instructions that you were made to download when you were children:

"Young program whom your mother and I replicated, obey God, and don't give up when He corrects your errors.  If you are being disciplined, it is because He loves you enough to want you to be better.  (And, we all can be better!)  The Loving Programmer treats you as His beloved sons.  Is there a son whose loving father does not want him to be better?

When one is disciplined, one feels pain.  Later, it makes its effects felt, and makes our individual program operate better as our errors are corrected.

So, (if you are dis-couraged by discipline, stop. 

Don't let it get you down.  Don't go slumping around, depressed and feeling hurt.  Make yourself continue toward your goal that your discouragement doesn't cripple you, but serves to make you stronger.

Jesus, The Program in perfect, human, obedient form, taught in towns and villages on His way to Jerusalem.

Someone asked Him:  "Lord, will only a few souls be allowed to live joyfully, forever in Heaven?"

He replied:

"Obey the Operating Instructions (Commandments) and don't try to get into Heaven by making your own

way, you aren't strong enough. 

When your time to enter has passed, you can't get in.  You'll stand around outside, knocking and asking The Loving Programmer to open the door for you, but He won't.  He'll say, 'I don't know where you're from.'  (Hard to understand this, since He does know everything.)

You will say,

"We ate and drank in Your company (went to Your Church) and You taught in our streets'.

Then, He will say to you,

'I do not know where you are from. (Being perfectly obedient, Myself, I do not know the disobedience that rules you).  Depart from Me, all you evildoers!' (who did evil, rather than obeying The Operating Instructions made clear to you.)

Then, there will be agony and anger with yourself and everything when you see your ancestors and prophets in The Programmer's Kingdom and you, yourselves, cast out (deprived of joy and salvation forever).  Even strangers, (not from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) will come from all over the world to feast forever in The Programmer's Kingdom.  Some, who were the the last to hear, will be saved before those who heard first, and were saved last."