The narrow gate (which we read about in this Sunday’s gospel), the eye of a needle and the closed door are all images used by Jesus in his parables to describe entry to the kingdom of heaven. It reminds me of the famous painting by Holman Hunt, which hangs in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. It depicts Jesus carrying a lantern and knocking at a door that has no handle on the outside. It can only be opened from within. Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts, but we must open our hearts to allow him to enter. To enter by the narrow gate was never going to be easy. It is opened to those who strive to live in fidelity to their faith, who are of sincere disposition, who make choices in accordance to God’s law. For all of us the door is narrow and none of us can expect to enter it as of right. The gateway to eternal life is open for all, but it is narrow because it requires us to be faithful to God’s law and unselfish in our way of life. It requires us to be sincere in our love of God and of each other. Pope Benedict, in one of his homilies, put it very beautifully. He said, “True friendship with Jesus is expressed in how one lives; in the goodness of one’s heart; in one’s humility, kindness and mercy, in one’s love for justice and truth; in one’s sincere commitment to peace and reconciliation. This, we might say, is the ‘identity card’ that qualifies us as true ‘friends;’ it is the ‘passport’ that will let us enter eternal life.”
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 01:34:51 +0000
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