25 August 2019
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
How many will be saved? That’s a question someone asked Jesus in today’s Gospel. He refused to answer, showing how useless it is to guess. But in giving the example of the narrow gate, he does tell us something about the way to get to heaven, to eternal happiness.
Everyone is invited. But the way there is not easy. We just don’t slip in, he tells us. One has to put in the effort to be generous. Prayer is the way to generosity, the way that enables one to hick up to that narrow gate is steep. The freer we are of useless baggage, the easier it is to climb. So, I ask myself what are the things that hold me back?
Remember, Jesus once said that if anyone wishes to serve him, he must follow him, be with him, and where he is, that servant will be there too. Now, he says that servant will have to pass through the narrow gate, but since he’ll be there’s with him, he’ll get through.
Conclusion: I must get in shape to pass through the narrow gate now. How? By training myself to be a true servant. By getting rid of excess baggage that prevents me from loving him and loving my neighbor. Again: What are the things, the people that hold me back?