THE NARROW GATE TO ETERNAL LIFE - 6/21/22 (Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious)

Matthew 7:12-14

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.

“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.”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062122.cfm

For more information on the Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/june-21--st-aloysius-gonzaga/

For more information on examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Blessed Monday! Most of us are usually aware of the golden rule such as, "Do unto others what we want others to do unto us." A similar teaching is provided to us by our Lord in today's reading. However, some of us may have a bit of an inaccurate understanding of what this means. For example, we may say that no one should tell us of the wrong things we do or the clothing we wear because we don't do it to them. We may also think that if people disrespect us, then it means that we have the right to disrespect them as well. However, these ideas are contrary to humility. Rather, Jesus is inviting us to do unto them what will lead all of us to eternal life.

To make His point clearer, our Lord uses the analogy of a gate and compares the narrow gate to a wide gate. The narrow gate will bring people to life, and only few can pass it. Meanwhile, the wide gate will lead to destruction, and many will take this road unfortunately. What does this mean? The wide gate pertains to a worldly perspective as if we can do anything and everything. In our culture today, we often hear the statements "Be you" or "Do whatever you want." Because of this, some of us may neglect the will of God and His commandments without seeing its consequences in our life and for our eternity. 

Because of this mindset, there are many people who no longer see the value of their bodies as sacred temples of God and as such, they may dress immodestly by revealing their bodies in their clothing and by thinking that it boosts their confidence. Some may see that more people are watching inappropriate videos and indulging in lust. The negative environment and peers around us influence us to not desire to be pure in our hearts, minds, and souls. Also, it seems as if it's becoming more normal for people to lie or to make personal attacks with one another. Sometimes, the wide gate and the numerous people who commit sins lead us to imitate them without seeing how our sins affect our souls. But, let's not be discouraged because our Merciful Lord is patient with us, and He is waiting for us to enter the narrow gate. 

The narrow gate pertains to following the will of God and how it will lead us to avoid many obstacles in our relationship with Him. It may be difficult at first to walk in this path, but this is not impossible because our Lord is sustaining us in our journey and because our hope is in the eternal life that Jesus promises to us. Even if we have fallen to sins that make us ashamed before, God remains compassionate with us, and He calls us to find His presence in our lives. The sacrament of confession, the Mass, and our prayers will encourage us and fill us with hope that we can be victorious at the end of our journey. Our Savior is reminding us to always depend on Him, especially in our prayers, for us to reject the temptations we face and for us to stay away from occasions of sins. Being patient with our neighbors, practicing modesty in our clothing, and living the Catholic faith are not easy to do, especially in today's culture. But, it's worthwhile because of the promise of eternal life. May we imitate St. Aloysius Gonzaga who persevered in his prayers to be holy, in his mortification to be chaste and pure, and in his charity to people like the sick for us to be loving to our God and our neighbors. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic