Gospel of the Day
From the Gospel according to Saint Luke 13:22-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
The Narrow Gate Sets Us Free
Are only a few saved? Lord, I too could ask You that question, almost as if to say, “Do I really have to make such an effort?”
And You respond, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate… for many will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”
At that moment, I realise this is serious — I cannot play games with my eternal life.
I cannot keep settling for “just enough”, doing everything on my own terms and thinking that will suffice.
Lord, You love me madly. You proved it by giving Your life for me.
You tell me to trust You, to listen to You, and to do what You say.
That true happiness lies in remaining in Your Love — and that happens by listening to You and keeping Your commandments; by denying myself, taking up my cross daily, and following You; by loving as You love.
That is what it means to pass through the narrow gate — to be freed from self-love, from everything that enslaves me, and to be filled with Your Love.
Lord, how marvellous is Your narrow gate, which frees me from what enslaves me and fills me with true Love — so that even here on earth, I can begin to share in the happiness of Heaven!
Applied to Married Life
Matthew: Mary, thank you — thank you so much.
Mary: Oh? Why are you thanking me all of a sudden?
Matthew: Because I’ve discovered God’s love through you, and I’m beginning to taste happiness.
Before, I used to get upset when you asked me to pray, to go to Mass… And when you asked me to change my plans — plans that were all about me, though I didn’t see it then — I’d get even angrier.
Now I can see that none of that made me happy. Quite the opposite: I was becoming blinder, more self-centred, more frustrated with you.
Thanks to you — and to the Lord — I’m no longer enslaved by that. I love praying together, planning things together… I feel free and at peace. That “famous narrow gate” is truly amazing!
Mary: [laughs] It’s the same for me! That narrow gate is wonderful! It may seem hard to enter at first, but soon it fills us with God’s peace and love — love for you! And that’s what I want! How great is the Lord!
Mother,
thank you so much for showing us the truth, for teaching us to love.
May we allow ourselves to be guided by you towards your Son.
Praised be the Lord!