Back in June, I attended a young adult retreat/conference in Chicago called Catholics on Call. The folks in charge often have alumnae write reflections for upcoming mass readings, and I was privileged to be able to write one this week. I'm reproducing the reflection below; the CoC site (with links to many thought-provoking reflections) can be found here.
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalm 117:1,2; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30
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I have to admit that when I first read this gospel passage, I felt like Jesus was being kind of harsh. I kept picturing Jesus standing at the gates of heaven with his arms crossed, bouncer-like, turning people away left and right. In my opinion, it didn’t seem very loving of Jesus to let so many people be cast out – to be left standing outside the doors of salvation. Isn’t He supposed to be merciful? Wouldn’t a loving savior let everyone in?
But then I think back to a time in my own life – a time just a few months ago, when I had the privilege of serving as long term substitute for five sections of seventh grade science (yikes!). Over a six-week period, each student was responsible for maintaining an “Interactive Science Notebook,” which was to contain all of their assignments, and which would be turned in for a major grade on the last day of school.
Throughout the six weeks, I worked as hard as I could to help the students keep their notebooks together. I allowed them ample time to complete assignments, reminding them at the end of each class to glue all work into their “Handy Dandy Notebooks!” (Yes, we did this as a class, Blues Clues style). I enjoined them over and over again to be responsible with their notebooks, to keep them in proper order, and to be disciplined with their work habits.
I bet you can guess the ending to the story. When the last day of school finally came, I had droves of students lining up at my desk to beg for mercy. “Mr. Paris! It’s not fair!” “Mr. Paris, can I PLEASE have another copy of the animal cell diagram?!” “Mr. Paris, I was absent four weeks ago! Wahh!”
I could have given in to the whining, the begging. I could have simply “let everyone in.” But that would not have been the truly loving thing to do. The truly loving teacher is one who cares for his students, wants them to learn from their mistakes, to develop discipline in their work habits, to freely choose the right path in their academic lives and follow it wholeheartedly. Because in the end, that decision matters so much more than a grade.
So it is with the Christian life. Jesus desires nothing more than for us to freely choose to follow Him, and to work diligently to grow closer to Him – living lives of prayer, virtue, and discipline. He expects a lot from us! In so many places throughout scripture, including today’s passage from Hebrews, Christ’s love is revealed not as a “permissive” love, but a “tough” love. St. Paul writes,
“Whom [The Lord] loves, he disciplines…Endure your trials as ‘discipline;’ God treats you as sons.”
Wow. These few lines reveal so much about the nature of God’s love. He disciplines us as a father disciplines His sons, or as a teacher disciplines His students. Despite our sins, He truly loves us and desires our happiness more than we desire it ourselves.
Let’s be real, folks. Discipline is a word that sends chills down the spine of children everywhere, and I’m pretty sure most adults don’t much like the sound of it either. Paul gets this. He writes, “At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain.” Discipline hurts! Discipline in the spiritual life requires us to live virtue; to pray diligently; to seek the sacraments often; to practice purity in our relationships; to deny ourselves daily, crucifying our hedonistic desires for worldly pleasures and riches. Discipline ain’t easy.
But it is our call. Because it is in living an ordered, disciplined life – a life grounded in prayer – that we allow God to free us from the shackles of our sinful nature, and to welcome us into a deeper, more fruitful relationship with Him. Jesus invites us to be disciplined, because He wants to share with us the beautiful mystery of intimacy with Him – an intimacy which can be achieved only through selfless devotion. Christ Himself reminds us in today’s Gospel: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” I believe he uses the word “strong” for a reason. It is through order, prayer, and the sacraments, that God will give us the grace which strengthens our souls.
And though the disciplined life is difficult, in time we will begin to experience the joy of a deeper union with Christ. Paul’s earlier statement about the pain of discipline continues: “…Yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” There is a great sense of peace to be found in a life of discipline. I have had but small tastes of this peace, but it’s enough to keep me striving, every day, to be a man of greater virtue than I was the day before.
Let us embrace Christ’s call to order, discipline, and prayer – so that we may someday enter through that “narrow gate,” straight into the open arms of Christ.
