In our Gospel reading today, someone asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” (Luke 13:23). The question reflects the sense of entitlement held by many of Jesus's contemporaries. They assumed that they were God’s chosen people, so they were guaranteed salvation while the rest of humanity was consigned to hell. But Jesus challenged that assumption.

Being chosen is not the same as being saved. Throughout their history, the Israelites frequently showed that although they were set apart to reflect God's holiness and justice, they repeatedly turned away from God, worshiping idols and rebelling against His will. Despite God’s unwavering faithfulness, they often failed to embody their status as the chosen people.

Time and again, the prophets called them to return to the very core of their identity, which was to be God's faithful people. Jesus echoed this call, saying, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did” (John 8:39). If they continued to make a mockery of their original calling, their chosenness would lead not to salvation but damnation, as Jesus warned, “You will knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ and he will reply, ‘I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, you evildoers’” (Luke 13:25–27).

Salvation is neither reserved for a select few nor is it tied to ethnicity, denomination, or membership in a religious sect. St. Paul makes this abundantly clear: “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile. The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him” (Romans 10:12–13). Salvation is open to all who are willing to reclaim their true identity and to maintain their intimate connection with God.

One of the clearest illustrations of this is the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). After demanding his inheritance and squandering it in a distant land, the son reaches rock bottom. It is then that he “comes to himself and says, ‘I will arise and go to my father’” (Luke 15:17–18).

Take note of that phrase: “he comes to himself.” Before he returns to his father, he first returns to his original self: not a servant, not as a failure, but as a son. His salvation begins at the moment he reclaims who he truly is.

But coming home to ourselves is often easier said than done, especially when false beliefs, destructive choices, and harmful habits have taken root so deeply that they define our self-concept. We are aware of the damage inflicted on us by this “false self,” but we are afraid to confront it. Instead, we find ways to escape it, like running away from our own shadow.

St. Paul captures this inner conflict powerfully: “For I do not do the good I want to do, and I keep doing the evil that I hate to do” (Romans 7:19). He recognizes the painful truth that something within him continually sabotages his deepest desires for goodness, truth, and authenticity. He is aware of what is right but unable to live by it.

Then he asks the vital question: “Who will save me from this deathly self?” (Romans 7:24). His answer is a cry of hope: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). In this moment, Paul begins facing his brokenness, pointing the way to healing, not through self-mastery, but through surrender to divine mercy.

Today, countless people struggle with mental health challenges. While self-help books, therapy, meditation, and medication may offer momentary relief, they do not address the heart of the issue: We have lost touch with our true identity. At our core, we are created in the image of God. We are spiritual beings with a deep, innate longing to return to Him. Only by rediscovering this divine connection can we find lasting healing and peace.