Now that I am over 60 years old my ankles and knees don’t function correctly anymore. So, I tend to choose my exercise or walking paths with care. No more mountain paths with mud, stones, and fallen branches – all of which seem to reach up to trip me along the way. I found a nice, paved sidewalk that goes through the woods behind the National Marines Museum. There are still some hills, but it is all a paved sidewalk. If it is a difficult day or if I am particularly tired, I just do a few laps around the perfectly flat and paved parking lot. It is all very safe and easy, and I consciously decided to choose those easier paths. I guess you can see that I am not a good athlete!
Jesus is reminding us today that our Christian life is the result of our conscious decisions. We live in a time massification. We do whatever is popular and in style or whatever we see on TV or the internet. We follow the crowd. Many times, we don’t even take into consideration where the popular path is leading or the consequences of choosing that path.
It is amazing how Jesus summarizes so succinctly all the Old Testament with the simple phrase: Enter through the narrow gate. A life path of love and service of God and neighbor can be messy, full of ups and downs, unpopular, and difficult. It is important to keep in mind God’s will when we make important life choices and also in common, daily decisions. Christian life is a constant process of putting our life and will in communion with God’s plan – choosing the narrow path.
Enter through the narrow gate