30th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - Holy Striving

 

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

The word translated “strive” in this morning’s Gospel is the Greek Word agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter heaven must do so through struggle and strain, like a running athlete exerting himself toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort.

It can’t be a coincidence that Jesus’ passion begins with the “agony” in the garden, where shows us that even he strives, and agonizes, and sweats blood, to do the Will of the Father.  

Entering heaven requires real effort on our part to conform our lives to the will of the Father and the teachings of Jesus Christ. We can’t simply slide into heaven. 

This effort takes many forms in the Christian life. First, there is the daily effort of self-denial - the small but constant choices to put God's will above our own desires. Whether it's choosing to bite our tongue rather than speak in anger, or rising early for prayer when we'd rather sleep in, these daily exercises of virtue prepare us for larger spiritual challenges ahead.

Then there is the effort of perseverance in faith during times of darkness and doubt. Just as Jesus faced his moment of agony with the words "Not my will but yours be done," we too must sometimes wrestle with God's will when it seems difficult or unclear. This is not a sign of weak faith, but rather an opportunity to exercise spiritual endurance.

There is also the effort of charity - the deliberate work of loving others as Christ loves us. This means actively seeking the good of others even when it costs us something. It means forgiving those who hurt us, serving those in need, and building up rather than tearing down. 

And perhaps most importantly, there is the effort of continual conversion - the ongoing work of examining our lives, recognizing our sins, and striving to change with God's grace. This is not a one-time event but a lifelong process of allowing God to reshape us into the image of Christ.

But let us be clear: this spiritual striving is not mere human willpower. We do not earn our way into heaven through our own efforts alone. Rather, our striving takes place within the context of God's grace, which both enables and perfects our efforts. Like branches drawing life from the vine, our spiritual exertions bear fruit only when they're energized by God's own life within us.

The narrow gate beckons us to this holy striving. Will we strive for heaven? The choice is ours, but the grace to succeed is God's gift to all who truly seek Him.

So let us embrace this blessed striving - knowing that the One who calls us to enter through the narrow gate has already blazed the trail before us, showing us not only the way, but giving us the strength for the journey for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Let us pray for the needs of the Church and the world:

For the Church, that in our daily striving for holiness, we may be strengthened by God's grace and encouraged by the example of our Lord.

For all who serve in ministries of charity, that their efforts to love and serve others may be sustained by divine grace and bear abundant fruit.

For our parish community, that we may support one another in the daily exercises of self-denial and grow together in holiness.

For all victims of war, for peace in the Holy Land, an end to the violence and the consolation of the suffering. May God come to the assistance of the communities and families devastated by terrorism and war; and may world leaders work together for peace. 

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know God’s consolation, healing, and grace.

For the faithful departed, that having strived to follow Christ in this life, they may now enter through heaven's gate into eternal joy, we pray to the Lord...

Loving Father, hear these our prayers, and bless us with the grace to strive for holiness on our journey toward heaven, through Christ our Lord.

1st Week of Ordinary Time 2023 - Friday - Strive to enter God's rest

 

The letter to the Hebrews today quotes a very important Psalm—the 95th Psalm.  Psalm 95 is prayed daily at the very beginning of the Liturgy of the Hours in what is called the invitatory prayer. A line from Psalm 95 is written above the sanctuary in the old lower church here at St. Ignatius: come let us adore and worship. 

Consider, the Church begins every day contemplating this Psalm. And what a Psalm it is, for it contains so many themes and lessons vital to the spiritual life: the importance of coming before God to worship, of singing God praises and giving thanks for the beauty of creation and God’s governance over it. It contains a warning of not hardening our hearts against God’s commandments, so that, as we heard quoted today, we may finally, at the end of our long journey, come to enter into God’s rest.

Remember, the original audience of the letter to the Hebrews were to those early Jewish converts to Christianity who were experiencing persecution, enduring hardship for the Gospel. And so the sacred author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95 to them, and to the Church of all ages, to encourage us to not to grow weary in our witness to Jesus, to not harden our hearts to the Gospel when things get difficult. Rather, we are to strive, to work hard, be zealous, be eager, to be diligent, to enter into God’s rest.

The attainment of our eternal destination is to be our highest priority. “Seek first the kingdom of God,” says the Lord. And this means overcoming the opposition we face to that goal: resisting temptations, turning to the Lord to carry us through times of trepidation and human weakness, learning to detach ourselves from earthly distractions, prioritizing the spiritual over the physical—zealously, eagerly, with haste, striving for the kingdom with assurance of the rest and the reward which awaits those who persevere.

In the Gospel, we have the powerful example of the group of four men striving to bring their friend near to Jesus to be healed. They go above and beyond what many would consider normal conventions to bring their friend to Jesus—they climb a roof, and lower their friend through the ceiling, to get him to Jesus. Striving to bring souls close to Jesus is part of our mission, and that not only requires zeal, eagerness, diligence and effort, it often requires us to work together, as members of the Church, to bring lost souls, sick souls, paralyzed souls, deluded souls to Jesus. 

May the Holy Spirit enliven us and give us strength and enthusiasm for our mission, in striving to enter into God’s rest through a life well-lived in diligent and zealous service of the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For ourselves and our own community, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

30th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - The Narrow Gate

 When asked about how many will be saved the Lord responded, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate”. 

In Matthew’s Gospel, the Lord says something similar. He says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”

The narrow way is one of effort rather than ease—work and toil, rather than sloth. Hesiod, the old Greek poet writes: “Wickedness can be had in abundance easily; smooth is the road, and very nigh she dwells; but in front of virtue the gods immortal have put sweat.’ When the Lord says, “strive” to enter heaven, the Greek word is agonozomai—agonize. Heaven needs to be sought with struggle and strain, like an athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and “giving his all” in the effort.

And that means the narrow way is one of discipline and self-control rather than undiscipline and indulgence. Many fail to achieve something of substance in their careers or in the earthly realm because they abandon discipline—they let themselves go. And the same is true for the spiritual life. St. Peter writes, “the end of all things is at hand, so be self-controlled and sober-minded”.  St. Paul writes to Timothy, “Train yourselves for godliness”. Training requires discipline—sticking to the regiment of prayer, study and good works, when the temptations of the world beckon for our attention. 

And that means the narrow way is also one of discernment rather than thoughtlessness. We must discern what is good with the help of God. Not everything that glitters is gold. Not every path leads to heaven. So we must be discerning, learning to distinguish good from evil, learning to see through the tricks and illusions of the devil and the world.

For the narrow way is also one of detachment from the works of the devil, including seeking conversion from habitual sin. Entering the narrow gate requires us to change.  We are cling to habits and attitudes that have no place in heaven, and should have no place in our earthly life: our grudges, our resentments, our perversions, our fears of suffering to obtain what is good.  We must let go of all that keeps us from following Christ more wholeheartedly.  

With God’s help, may we strive to enter the narrow gate, through effort, discipline, discernment, detachment and the help of grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the conversion of unbelievers, the sanctification of the faithful; for all hearts to be more receptive to Christ’s Gospel.

That government leaders at every level may be free of corruption and work for common good.

During this month of October may souls increase in faith, hope, and love through newfound devotion to Our Lady’s Rosary.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease; for those overwhelmed by life’s burdens; for the grieving and the fearful.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish; for deceased parishioner Kenneth Casey who died last week, for all of the poor souls in purgatory.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.