And in today’s Gospel, the Lord tells us how to do just that: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.”
Let’s dive into that most poignant line. The word “strive” in the original New Testament Greek is a really interesting word. It’s Agōnize-es-the, from which we get the word agonize. Jesus tells us here to agonize—struggle and strain to enter heaven. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by real effort, like an athlete making exerting all of his strength to reach the finish line, all muscles taut—almost seeming to push, push, push past his emotional and physical limits.
Is that how most of us would describe our efforts to grow in holiness? In the practice of prayer and good works? Are we struggling and straining to use the time we’ve been given for the work of the Gospel? Most of us would humbly admit, no we don’t. Which is why we pray over and over, Lord have mercy upon us.
Notice the Lord doesn’t say, it’s important to have striven for heaven at one point in the past or it’s okay if you put off striving for heaven for when it is most convenient for you—to strive to enter the narrow gate at some indeterminate time in the future. Agōnize-es-the isn’t a past tense verb, it’s not a future tense verb, it’s in the present tense: “agonize now and don’t stop” The Christian life requires constant effort for heaven.
Now, there are some protestant denominations that profess that as long as at some point in your life you acknowledge that Jesus is God and Savior, that you are basically automatically guaranteed heaven. Some of us Catholics treat baptism with the same attitude. But that doesn’t align with the biblical data. Baptism isn’t that end of the race, it’s the starting point.
And, on the other hand, many say, well, I’ll begin to take prayer seriously tomorrow, I’ll go to confession next month, I’ll engage in some charitable work when it’s more convenient. I’ll begin reading the Bible just after this season of Gray’s Anatomy (is that still on, I have no idea?) But what happens? To quote Meredith Wilson: “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.” Excuses about not getting serious about the Christian life leave us emptier and sadder for it.
To be saved, to enter the Kingdom, to get to Heaven, you need to strive for it now and until you draw your last breath.
And on top of this immense, all-encompassing agonizing effort on our part to reach heaven, what does the Lord say next? The gate of heaven is narrow. The width of the door to Heaven is the span of a needle’s eye, something that is anything but easy to pass through.
Listen to Matthew’s version of today’s Gospel, where the Lord says “The gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. But the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it” In other worse, The highway to hell is wide and easy; the road to heaven, the road to life is difficult, and not found by everyone.
And notice Jesus doesn’t say, complain about how narrow the gate is, how small it looks. Many souls are presented with the commandments of God and the teachings of the Church, and say,
no, too narrow, too rigid, too outdated, for me”. They seek to refashion the gate and make it wider. They lobby for the Church to change her teachings instead of having the courage and fortitude to change themselves. But that’s not what Jesus asks.
Entering the narrow gate requires us to change, and the behaviors and attitudes that are incompatible with heaven, incompatible with Church teaching, all need to be eradicated from our lives: our selfish clinging to sinful pleasures, our grudges and hatreds, our prideful self-aggrandizement. And this is all very hard, to let go of the bad habits and sins we have cultivated over the years.
C.S. Lewis’ wrote a powerful allegory called “The Great Divorce” in which he describes two types of people, those who are willing to give up their selfish clingings and those who get to go to heaven and there is a great divorce, a great chasm between them.
It is a tough gospel, a tough lesson. But, isn’t it the message of the cross? The key to the narrow gate of heaven is the cross that the Lord has told us that we must take up and carry, each and every one of us.
The daily examination can be a tremendous help in letting go of our vices and carrying our crosses more faithfully. The daily self-diagnosis: where have a dropped the cross today? Where have I failed to strive and strain for beatitude? Where have I fallen into old habits—that so unfortunately keep me from the freedom and joy God wants for me, had I strived and struggled just a little harder?
Now of course this doesn’t mean we can’t physically and emotionally rest from our labors. The human body needs rest, we need the sabbath, we need a vacation now and then, but even leisure is to be placed at the service of striving for heaven. I rest because I must in order to serve God.
And again, this all sounds impossible. But the key is to try. And God knows how we try and how we don’t. But he also doesn’t leave us to accomplish this impossible task on our own. He gives us the strength we need at Mass, in the Eucharist.
Jesus doesn’t leave us agonizing on our own, with all our weaknesses, staring at the uphill narrow road. He gives himself to us to strengthen us on the inside so that we might finish the race and keep the faith. We can indeed do all things in him who strengthens us. He empowers us by his word, he bolsters by the intimate friendship of prayer, and fortifies us by the awesome gift of Holy Communion so that united with him we might follow him step by step. The Mass—where we are fed and strengthened with prayer, worship, word and sacrament is a foretaste for those who persevere of the heavenly banquet.
And that’s how the Gospel today ends doesn’t it? With that beautiful image. Those who strive and strain to enter the narrow gate, from east, west, north, and south, will come to recline at the heavenly table in the kingdom of God.
May we find our strength, our life, in the Eucharist today, to carry the cross, to strive to enter the narrow gate, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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