-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 9:30am on Sunday
What makes the gate narrow?
I cannot help but think of the gospel passage about the camel passing through the eye of a needle. That camel is burdened with all the luggage and the goods of a beast of burden. Because of that heavy bulky burden the animal cannot fit through the opening.
When Jesus mentions the width or the size of the gate that leads to salvation I am anticipating that the "size" of the individual is what determines the width or the narrowness of the gate. So, the invitation or the opportunity for salvation is not the restriction. The restriction on who will be saved completely lies with the girth of the individual.
One can change the width or narrowness of the gate that leads to salvation by conforming his or her life to that of Christ. Trim the fat, lighten your load, lose the excess, dispossess, detach, and you will fit just perfectly
Remember the old playdoh machine in which you placed the Playdoh and then a fixed pattern or a dye to the front of the machine? We pushed the Playdoh down and it took on the shape of the pattern on the front. The playdoh was conformed to the "gate" rather than forcing a immalable mass through a definitive opening.
The material must be conformed to the pattern not the pattern changed to accommodate the material. Salvation is in Christ and through Christ and the way is only narrow to those who have not laid down their lives in imitation of his.
3 comments:
I like the perspective you are giving so much, Matador. It seems so obvious, yet I have never considered it this way before.
The words from Jesus support what you say - for the idea that "many will not be strong enough" fits with the notion that the discipline that is required to accomplish the passage through the gate is a challenge. The older I get, the more real this fact becomes to me. Just as diet and exercise become more and more a necessary part of life in order to maintain a degree of fitness, so too does it continue to be more clear to me that the spiritual life requires constant attention. My weakness and frailties are more clear to me, and the finite amount of time remaining to work towards my goal of eternal life is becoming more clear.
"The material must be conformed to the pattern" - I like that piece of instruction!
LOVE the playdoh imagery! LOVE IT! LOVED playing with my boys! Pleasant smell on whatever surface you worked it ... Made me reflect that the PlayDoh has to be worked daily, with CLEAN hands, and CARED FOR to remain malleable ...
I was talking to a neighbor whose brother is in the hospital and he will only visit him if he will die and he will NEVER forgive him for some thoughtless comment years ago... a comment! He said his brother can go to hell! I don't think this poor guy knows how contorted his face is with anger and bitterness ... And that's just his face! And that he carries this daily! No way when you're holding on to ANYTHING like that you'll squeeze through the playdoh press.
If you're at all interested in knowing . . . the Catholic Dogma . . . that we *must believe* to get to Heaven, and which you have *never* seen . . .
I list it on my website > > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com
> > Abjuration of heresy to enter the Catholic Church > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_19.1.html
The Catholic God knows . . . what we think and believe . . .
Catholic writing of Romans 1:21 >
"They ... became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened."
Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Deuteronomy 31:21 >
"For I know their thoughts, and what they are about to do this day."
Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Job 21:27 >
"Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against Me."
The group that calls itself "islam" ... is not a religion. Fully proven by the fact that the "koran" says the *opposite* of the Old Testament Prophets > Section 113.1 of the site.
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