21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke 13:22-30

The Narrow Gate

Open Market, Old City, Jerusalem

 There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"

"Bed... hard..." said the monk.   "I see," replied the head monk.

Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"  "Food... stinks..." said the monk.   "I see," replied the head monk.

Yet another ten years passed, and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, "What are your two words now, after these ten years?"  "I... quit!" said the monk.

"Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is complain.”.

Jesus today talks about entering through the narrow gate.  His intent is clear – entering the Kingdom will take effort and courage.  Jesus makes it clear that it is not a simple walk through the woods.  He uses the words “strive.”  

Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough

It will not be an easy journey!  Sometimes the bed will be hard!  Sometimes the food will stink!  And very often we may feel like quitting!  But you know what!  Being a Christian, following Jesus, has nothing to do with OUR comfort or pleasure!  And it certainly isn’t about thinking only of ourselves, like that monk!  No matter how uncomfortable it may be, it’s about spreading the Word, about living out the Gospel message in our daily life.

That is what we hear in today’s Responsorial Psalm - Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.    That is our mission as disciples of Christ!  But it won’t be easy!

It reminds me of this little town up in the far northwestern suburbs – Long Grove.  Cute little town, lots of quaint shops on Main Street, like a Christmas Store, ice cream shop, antiques, a decadent chocolate shop and bakery.  But one thing that really draws tourists is its wooden covered bridge.  There are more than 26,000 bridges in Illinois but the one in Long Grove stands out for its tenacity and its ability to withstand near-constant assaults from careless drivers!

Built in 1906, the covered bridge measures only 8 ½ feet in height!  In June 2018, just two weeks after the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, a box truck demolished the structure.  It ended up closing the bridge for a year or so.  23 hours after its official reopening in August 2020, another driver in a chartered school bus not only hit it but got stuck.  Since then, there have been another 32 strikes by careless drivers.

It kind of boggles the mind!  There are plenty of large clearly placed signs warning of the low clearance and the weight restrictions.  And yet drivers continue to think they can ignore the signs and ram their way over the bridge.  They focus only on themselves and believe that it should take no effort and no attention to cross the bridge!

Again, this is a reminder to us all!  Living a Christian life takes patience and humility, trust and selflessness and diligence.  We can’t be like that young monk and focus only on ourselves.  And we can’t be like those drivers who think they can ignore the signs and just barrel through a covered bridge, or a narrow gate, and expect that they will sail through with no problem, no effort! 

We must prepare!  We have to work for it with faith and certainly a good dose of humility.  And not just once but all throughout our lives!  Maybe some days it will feel like a very tight squeeze, but the rewards are eternal. Our faith challenges us (or it should challenge us) to step out of our comfort zone, to work, to get our hands dirty.  It means that being a disciple can be difficult; it requires courage and the faith that the narrow gate leads to the Kingdom of God.    

Walk with me, Lord!  Be with me in times of trial and testing.  Grant me courage and faith to see Your Will and work to carry it out in my daily life!