‘LORD, WILL ONLY A FEW PEOPLE BE SAVED?” Isn’t that classic – aren’t we always hedging our bets – what are the odds we will be saved? And typical of Jesus, he does not satisfy our curiosity. He calls us to conversion. The real question is not, “How many will be saved?” but rather, “Am I walking the path of salvation?”
Not long ago I was in an airport, going through security. You know the drill – you can’t carry anything through. You must take off your belt, shoes, empty your pockets, even leave behind your water bottles. The doorway is narrow, and you can’t get through with your luggage.
That is exactly the image Jesus gives us today: “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” The doorway to God’s Kingdom is open, but it is narrow. And the question is – what are we willing to let go of in order to enter?
The narrow door is not about God making heaven hard to reach. It is about us. Pride will not fit through. Selfishness is too bulky. Greed and resentment and grudges make us too wide to squeeze in. To pass through, we need to travel light – with humility, mercy, and love.
Jesus does not say, “Stroll through the door.” He says, “Strive.” That means effort and commitment. The Christian life is not a casual stroll; it is a daily effort. Faith is not a label or a tradition – it is a relationship with Jesus Christ lived out in daily choices: forgiving when it is hard, serving when it costs, staying faithful when it is not popular.
In the parable, some are left outside even though they say, “We ate and drank with you; you taught in our streets.” But the master replies, “I do not know you.”
That is a wake-up call. It is not enough to be loosely connected to Jesus, or to say, “I grew up Catholic.” What matters is: does Christ truly know me? Do I spend time in prayer? Do I live His teaching? Do I love my neighbor? You might be aware that we will be having a Parish Mission in early September. This will be one of those “graced moments” in our lives – a time to look closely at our relationship with God…I would strongly encourage you to come to these three days. In your pew – half sheet of paper – every one of us knows someone who would benefit from being part of this “Mission Experience” – We are looking for some names and if possible an address so that an invitation can be extended to participate – sometimes that is all that it takes – a little nudge (time)
The narrow door is not meant to scare us, but to focus us. We cannot carry everything through – we need to let go of what does not belong to God. So how do we walk through the narrow door? By forgiving someone who hurt us. By letting go of grudges that weigh us down. By putting prayer before busyness. By serving those in need without looking for reward. By choosing humility instead of pride. Each act of love makes us a little freer, a little more ready to step through the doorway. And with God’s help, one day we will hear God say, “Come in – you belong to Me.”