Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Narrow Road to Heaven: Mercy, Judgment, and Our Call to Help One Another

In today’s Gospel from Luke 18:9-14, we hear the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. One man boasts of his righteousness, while the other humbly beats his breast and says, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ Jesus tells us that it is the humble tax collector who goes home justified before God. This parable is a powerful reminder of the kind of heart God desires — a heart that is contrite, honest, and aware of its need for mercy.

This connects beautifully with our first reading from Sirach 35, where we are told that the Lord is a God of justice, who shows no partiality. He listens to the cry of the oppressed and the prayer of the lowly. And in the second reading, St. Paul, nearing the end of his earthly life, writes to Timothy with confidence that he has fought the good fight and kept the faith. He trusts in the Lord’s just reward, knowing that the Lord will bring him safely to His heavenly kingdom.

These readings speak to the reality of judgment, mercy, and eternal destiny. And it is here that we must address a difficult but necessary truth: not everyone will go to heaven. While some may believe that hell does not exist, the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church affirm otherwise. Jesus Himself speaks of hell multiple times in the Gospels, warning us of the consequences of unrepented sin and hardened hearts.

Hell is real — not because God desires to punish, but because He respects our freedom. God offers us His mercy and grace, but He does not force us to accept it. Heaven is the fullness of life with God, but it must be chosen. And for those who die in God’s friendship but still need purification, the Church teaches the reality of purgatory — a merciful process by which the soul is made ready to enter the presence of God.

St. Catherine of Siena once said, ‘All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, I am the way.’ This means that our journey toward heaven begins now, in the choices we make and the love we show. We are not meant to walk this path alone. As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to help one another get to heaven — through prayer, encouragement, correction in love, and acts of charity.

It is the Lord’s deepest desire that we be saved. As St. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:4, God ‘desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ He is merciful beyond our understanding. But mercy requires a response. It requires humility, like that of the tax collector, who acknowledged his sin and begged for mercy.

Let us not be like the Pharisee, who trusted in his own righteousness and looked down on others. Let us be like the tax collector, who knew his need for God. Let us also be like St. Paul, who persevered in faith and looked forward in hope to the crown of righteousness.

Heaven is our true home, and we are pilgrims on the way. But the road is narrow, and the gate is small. Let us walk it together, with humility and love, helping one another along the way, trusting in the mercy of God, and striving always to live in His grace.