Choosing and Entering the Gate of the Kingdom of God

Homily of His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle

Pro-Prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urban University, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Manila

August 24, 2025 | Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time | The Manila Cathedral

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

We praise the Lord who has formed us as one family, as one community of faith on this Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our readings for today bring us to the object of our hope, ang ating pag-asa, which is to be part of the Kingdom of God, to be with God. He is our hope. We want to be with Him, and in the Gospel (Luke 13:22-30), the Kingdom of God is described as a meal, as a banquet, where people will be invited by the Lord. 

May I ask you: Who want to enter the kingdom of God? (Some people raise their hands.) Ayaw ng iba? Eh anong kingdom ang gusto n’yo? Kaya nagkakagulu-gulo ang buhay eh. Bahala na yung mga hindi nagtaas ng kamay ah.

It is our aspiration, but it is also clear in our readings that the Kingdom of God is “of God”, “Paghahari ng Diyos.” So, it is a gift of God. We do not produce salvation. We do not produce the Kingdom of God. It is God who saves. It is God who invites. It is God who will prepare the meal. It is God’s kingdom. So, what we aspire for is really what God is offering to us. Ang ating inaasam-asam na paghahari ng Diyos ay hindi natin kagagawan. Ito ay paghahari ng Diyos. Ito ay handog ng Diyos.

The good news is—God offers salvation to all. Jesus was asked, “Will a few be saved?”, and the images used, even in the First Reading (Isaiah 66:18-21), the offer of salvation, the invitation to eat in God’s kingdom is offered, is open to all—people from the north, the south, the east, the west. In the vision of Isaiah, “the nations: Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan” (hindi ko po alam kung nasaan ang mga iyan), but the Lord says, “people from those places, will be invited, and some of them will even become priests who will offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

So, ito po ang unang malinaw na aral: the gift of salvation, the gift of the kingdom of God is offered to all—the universal will for salvation offered to all. 

The second thing is equally important. Remember, it is an invitation to the kingdom of God. Now, we are all free to accept invitations or not. We are all free to receive a gift or not.

Kapag may nag-imbita sa atin, nasa atin na kung tatanggapin o hindi; pero nag-imbita sila. Ikaw lang ang either pumunta o hindi. May nagbigay ng regalo sa iyo. Nabigyan ka na, nasa iyo na yan kung gagamitin mo o hindi, o baka ipamigay mo rin. Nangyari na po sa akin yan eh. May binigyan ako ng regalo. Tapos, nung birthday ko, binigyan naman niya ako. [Pagbukas ko, ang sabi ko] “Parang namumukhaan ko ito ah. Bumalik lang yata sa akin ah.” Ganyan, pero yung regalo ay dapat tanggapin. Yung paanyaya ay dapat tanggapin.

The one who invites leaves those who are invited free. For as long as they are clear to what are they invited. We are all invited to the kingdom of God; but the thing is, are all ready and willing, and eager to enter the kingdom of God.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives an example. Some people wanted to enter the kingdom, the banquet. They were knocking at the door, and the owner of the house said, “I do not know you,” and they said, “Oh, Lord Master, we ate and drank in your company, and you taught in our streets. We know you.” “Nagkape-kape pa nga tayo eh. ‘Di ba? Hindi ba namasyal-masyal pa tayo d’yan sa kalye, magkakasama. Magkakilala tayo. Papasukin mo na ako.” But the master of the house said, “I do not know you, evil doers.” “I invited you to my kingdom, but you first accepted the invitation of evil. You are not interested in my kingdom.” By doing evil, you have been entering the many kingdoms of evil; and now you tell me you know me. You know the king of evil, maybe not me. I invited you, but you accepted the invitation to the banquet of evil.”

Nag-iimbita ang Diyos, pero kung anu-anong imbitasyon ang ating tinatanggap. That’s why the Second Reading (Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13) talks about discipline. “Every parent disciplines his or her child, not for the sake of punishing, but it is for the education, the formation of the children, for life, for salvation. Kaya nga sabi ni Hesus, “Enter the narrow gate.” “Narrow gate.” If you want to enter my Kingdom, sarado na dapat yung mga gate ng corruption, pandaraya, pagsasamantala. Kapag nakabukas lahat ng mga gate na iyon, naku, [parang sinasabi natin,] “Saka na muna yang kingdom of God na iyan. Pasukin ko muna itong mga ibang gates.” At nagsisiksikan pa doon sa gate para yumaman, para tumanyag, para “Dumami ang aking mga followers. Sikat ako. Milyon na ang aking mga followers.” So? You now belong to the kingdom of that, whatever network; and you say you want to enter the kingdom of God?

Discipline. If we want to enter the kingdom of God, focus on that gate, and it becomes narrow, because you do not want the gates of evil.

Evil closes the gate to the kingdom.

It is not God who closes the gate to the kingdom.

Evil closes the gate to the kingdom.

Hindi ang Diyos ang nagsasara ng pintuan sa Kanyang paghahari. Gusto N’ya, bukas yan. Ano ang nagsasara ng pintuan sa paghahari ng Diyos? Ang kasamaan. So, saang gate po tayo dadaan? Anong gate ang ating ibig pasukan? Kung paghahari ng Diyos, pangatawanan iyon, at discipline. Hindi po pwedeng “Gusto kong pumasok sa paghahari ng Diyos pero lahat ng pintuan ay dapat bukas.”

May mga bata, nakikita ko mga estudyante. Alam ko gustung-gusto ninyo maka-graduate, makatapos; pero yung gate para matuto at makatapos ay makitid. Ibig sabihin, yung ibang gate isasara mo yan: yung gate ng paglalakwatsa, yung gate na napupuyat kang kaka-YouTube at kung anu-ano, pero tamad na tamad kang magbasa ng iyong leksyon, sarado dapat yang gate na iyan. Sarado dapat yang gate na hingi ka nang hingi ng allowance, hindi mo naman pala ginagamit para sa pag-aaral. Sarado yung gate ng pangongopya, kasi kapag nangopya ka nang nangopya, ang nagiging career mo ay pandaraya sa habambuhay. Nagsimula ka nang mag-practice maging corrupt. Isara na yung mga gate na iyan; at itong gate na ito (ng kaharian ng Diyos) ang panatilihing bukas. 

Tatapusin ko po: Hindi sinasara ng Diyos ang pintuan. Ang nagsasara ng pinto ay ang kasamaan. Mamili tayo. Tatanggapin ba natin ang Kanyang paanyaya para pumasok sa kaniyang pintuan. Hari nawa.

Tatanungin ko ulit: Sino ang gustong pumasok sa paghahari ng Diyos? Paki taas ang kamay. (People raises their hands.) Mas dumami ah. Ibig sabihin, mas marami na tayong pintuan na isasara. Tama na iyan. Hindi yan patungo sa paghahari ng Diyos.

Transcribed by Joel V. Ocampo

photos from Manila Cathedral Facebook page