Ephesians 6:1-9 / Luke 13:22-30
There is this undeniable tension between parents and children, and also between superiors and subordinates.
It is an age-old tension that is essentially a matter of lack of understanding between the two parties and when one party imposes its opinions on the other party and the other party opposes and disagrees with the other party.
The 1st reading addresses this problem and proposes this solution: Children, be obedient to your parents; parents, never drive your children to resentment; slaves be obedient to your masters with deep respect and sincere loyalty; employers, treat your slaves kindly.
Putting all this in practical terms, the simple question that we can ask ourselves is this: How can I make the other party feel better?
Whatever status or position in life, when we ask ourselves "How can I make the other party feel better?" then the tensions and misunderstandings in relationships would be addressed.
That could also be the practical way of understanding the teaching of Jesus in the gospel when He says: Try your best to enter by the narrow door.
We would want others to open the door wide for us, but are we also willing to open the door wide for others?
When we do our best to enter by the narrow door and understand how difficult it is, then we would want to open the door wide for others.
Because we would want them to feel better in relating with us and that would also mean that we would feel better in relating with them.
We have known then tensions of relationships, whether as parent or children, or as superior or subordinate. Let us now look at the narrow door and try to make others feel better.