HOW we need his straight-forward wisdom today!!! Speak it, Bishop Sheen!!

And one more, because I'm on a Fulton Sheen kick....

So, HERE is Free Will

What I wish Calvinist's understood about Free Will.  This makes so much sense. 

"To the extent that we abandon our personality to Him, He will take possession of our will and work in us. We are no longer ruled by commands coming from the outside, as from a cruel master, but by almost imperceptible suggestions that rise up from within. We feel as if we had wanted all along to do those things He suggests to us; we are never conscious of being under command. Thus our service to Him becomes the highest form of liberty, for it is always easy to do something for the one we love."

— Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

Strive

This morning's Gospel reading from Luke was powerful.

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.

That one word jumped out at me.  STRIVE.  Jesus didn't answer the questioners directly.  He didn't say "Yeah, I only chose a few elect, and those are the ones I'll grab by the hand and escort through the narrow gate, so just stand there and wait for me."   He certainly didn't say "The gate's wide open, everyone saunter on in!"  He directly gave a command.  We are called to STRIVE.  So much in that one word.  It is a call to action.  Doing.  Growing.  Trying. It implies strife, difficulty, obstacles.  It demands effort, and lots of it. The going will be tough, so DO SOMETHING.  It's not enough to desire to be saved.  Jesus calls us to ACTION.   He Himself has opened the gate, but He is calling to us, and it's our job to live this life in such a way that we COME TO HIM.  We, for all our trying, will never beat down that narrow gate if it's closed.  But if He opens it for us... we need to be strong.  We need to STRIVE. 

The other thing that struck me about the way the Lord answered the questioners, was that Jesus made it clear that it wasn't HE who was the limiting factor on who got saved. He's not picking favorites.  There's not a definitive number.  The limit is US.  "Many will attempt to enter but not be strong enough". 

I can read a passage a thousand times, and it isn't until the 1001st time that it's full impact becomes clear - just when I need to hear it.

STRIVE.