Helen Ziegler- rest in peace

For about forty years Kathleen and I went to her brother’s house, to Will and Helen’s, for thanksgiving dinner.  Initially, we weren’t even engaged.  But, eventually, we got married and began to bring our children, then their spouses and then the grandchildren.   These dinners became a tradition in the family and we used to say that if you brought a girlfriend or boyfriend to Thanksgiving dinner at Will and Helen’s then you had to marry them.  We only missed a few Thanksgiving dinners during this time; several when I was in the service and once when we decided to go skiing instead.  And the year when we went skiing, we all decided that we should have gone to Will and Helen’s because we missed being with the family.

These dinners were happy events.  After all, we say Happy Thanksgiving.  The Latin word for blessed in today’s Gospel, beatitudo, can also be translated as ‘happy’.   So, Jesus is telling us nine different ways to be happy.  He says: “Happy are the poor in spirit, happy are those who mourn, happy are the meek, happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, happy are the merciful, happy are the pure in heart, happy are the peacemakers, happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and happy are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely in my account.”

Some of these ways to be happy are not what we would expect.  To understand this teaching of Jesus, these beatitudes, we need to better understand what happiness is.  Today, many associate happiness with “having a good time” that is, pleasure or comfort.  But, long term happiness is spiritual and moral and not emotional and pleasurable.   The saints in heaven are supremely happy, because they’re with God, the source of all happiness.  Happiness, then, is joyful, flowing from the life of God.  The one thing we all desire is joy.  Jesus tells us in the beatitudes how to find true joy and happiness.    

Now, a funeral mass might seem like a strange place to talk about joy and happiness.  But, if we truly believe in eternal life with Jesus in heaven, then this is the perfect setting to speak of happiness. Death for those who are following Jesus isn’t meant to be a sad event.  Instead, it is a transition from the trials and suffering of this life to eternal joy with Jesus in heaven.

Happiness in heaven is what we all are striving for, but we might not realize it.  We might look for happiness in the things of this world, like money or power or pleasure or honor.  But, eventually, even if we achieve some of these things, we come to realize that they only satisfy us for a short time and then we look for more.  Ultimately, we are looking for the joy which only God can offer us.

In his apostolic letter, Pope Francis recently wrote:  “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. … With Christ, joy is constantly born anew.  The salvation which God offers us is the work of his mercy. God, by his sheer grace, draws us to himself and makes us one with him.”

I’ve known Helen for over forty years.  And to me, she always seemed to be happy.  I know that she had trials in her life, as we all do, but she endured these trials gracefully and maintained a joyful disposition.   She let God lead her as she persevered through the difficulties of life.  Our first reading from the book of Proverbs described the ideal wife by saying:  “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.  She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.  Her children rise up and praise her.  Her husband, too, extols her.”  That was Helen.

Several weeks ago, my wife and I visited Helen in the nursing home and then in the hospital.  It was obvious that her days were numbered.  Where we once were praying for her to recover; now we prayed that her suffering would end soon.  Last Saturday, her trials and suffering came to an end.   She lived a long life and now has transitioned from the trials of this life to eternal life.   

All of us are dying.  For some, death will come in days or months.  For most, it will be many years.  We all will take this journey from life through death to everlasting life or everlasting death.   Even Jesus, the Son of God, made this journey.  Out of love for us, he came to earth just like us and died like we all must die.  Jesus death and resurrection provide hope and consolation to all of us.  He has shown us the way to everlasting life.  And through him, we obtain everlasting life.

May we bear our trials and suffering with grace and perseverance as Helen did even during her final days. May all of us here and especially Will, Greg, Dan, and Rob find hope and courage during this difficult time.  And, through the love of our merciful and forgiving God, may we experience true joy and happiness in this life and in eternal life.    

He leadeth me - a homily given at the Presentation Ministries Retreat

Recently I read He leadeth me by Father Walter Ciszek.  Father Ciszek was an American Jesuit priest who felt a strong calling to serve the people of Russia in the late 1930’s.  After ordination, Father Ciszek was assigned to a small parish in Poland.  From Poland, he went into Russia with a logging crew.  When the authorities found out that he was a priest, he was arrested and spent twenty three years in Soviet prisons and labor camps.  They convicted him of being a Vatican spy and, on many occasions, threatened to kill him. Father Ciszek struggled with his faith and wondered why he went to Russia where it was often nearly impossible for him to minister as a priest.  Eventually, he came to realize that he was led to the Soviet prisons and labor camps by the Lord for a reason and that he should serve as best he could under very difficult circumstances.  Father Ciszek couldn’t control the people who were placed in his path.  But he could minister to those he did meet.

While in prison, Father Ciszek said:  “I grew firm in my conviction that whatever happened in my life was nothing else than a reflection of God’s will for me. And he would protect me.”  Father Ciszek ministered to those he met who were willing to listen.  He persevered in spite of the attempts of the authorities to silence him.  He planted seeds but normally wasn’t able to see the results of his efforts.

All of us have roles to play in salvation history.  John the Baptist’s role was an important one, to announce the coming of the Lord.  As we hear in today’s Gospel, he was beheaded by Herod because of his role.  Father Ciszek also had a role in bringing the faith to the Russian prison camps and Siberian towns.  He fanned the flame of faith in a barren time and place. 

Our role might not require the complete commitment of John the Baptist or the continual sacrifice of Father Ciszek.  But, our faith is very important to those the Lord puts into our path.  Our primary role in salvation history might be limited to evangelizing our friends, our family, and our co-workers. For some of them, we might be the only Christian witness that they hear.  We are to bloom where we are planted.

I’d like to tell you a story about a couple in our parish, I’ll call them Amy and Jim, who are living their lay vocation.  A few years ago, Amy attended a Christ Renews His Parish or CRHP weekend here at St Francis de Sales.  Amy was touched by the witnesses she heard on the weekend and resolved to develop a closer relationship with Christ. 

Jim saw the impact the weekend had on Amy and agreed to attend the next men’s weekend.  After the weekend, Jim, who was normally pretty quiet, witnessed to his friends about Christ.  He and Amy also had many serious discussions about living their faith.  There was one area of their faith where they continued to struggle, the issue of having additional children.  Jim and Amy had three children and each one had medical problems after birth.  After the third child, they had decided that they shouldn’t have additional children and Jim had a vasectomy. 

Now, after attending CRHP and finding a closer relationship with the Lord, they became aware of the church teaching against contraception.  They prayed about what they should do and discussed the issue with Father Rob and me.  Since Jim’s business was struggling, they really couldn’t afford the cost to get the vasectomy reversed.

After much prayer, they decided to have faith and to trust in the Lord.  They got a new credit card with no interest for several months.  Jim had his vasectomy reversed and put the cost on the credit card.  Jim’s business picked up and in several months, they were able to pay off the credit card.  When Jim wrote the check, Amy asked him if he realized what day it was. It was Father’s day.

Several months later, Jim was on a CRHP giving team with me and gave the witness on Father’s Loving Care.  During his witness he told this story.  At the end of his witness, he told us that Amy was pregnant.  I was so touched by the faith and trust of this young couple that I almost cried.

After the baby was born, they asked me to baptize her.  I call her a CRHP baby.  The baby hasn’t had any of the health issues that their other children had after birth.  It has been a joy to the family and to many of us in the parish.  Amy and Jim are witnesses to all of us at St Francis of the power of living your lay vocation.  Jim is on the current CRHP giving team and will be giving this witness once again.

When I look out at the congregation at our Sunday masses, I see couples like Jim and Amy who are living their lay vocation.  I see families large and small who are coming to church every Sunday and are doing their best to be Christ in this community.  I hear the crying babies, who are the future of our church.  They give me hope for our Church and for our nation. 

Approximately one third of the deaths in our nation today occur in the womb.  Our nation doesn’t support its families and is confused even about what marriage is.  We must pray that our nation doesn’t completely reject God, like Russia did in Father Ciszek’s time.  But, we have hope because of the young families, like Jim and Amy, in our communities today.  These families are raising godly children.  Unlike my generation, which brought us free love, no-fault divorce, and the collapse of the family, this generation, these families, are leading us back to Christ and his Church.  I pray that all of you, and especially the young mothers and fathers who are with us today, will live your lay vocation. Christ is counting on you to build His kingdom on earth.

I will make you fishers of men

In the sixteenth century, Francis de Sales, whose feast day was Friday, was sent to minister in the Chablis province of France.  Francis had only been a priest for two years.  He found himself in an area where the Catholic faith was almost non-existent with only about one hundred Catholics in a population of 25,000.  There were hundreds of desecrated Catholic churches and the area was under the influence of Calvinism. 

Even Francis’ father didn’t support his efforts to convert the people of Chablis.  But, Francis, with his cousin, walked ten miles each morning to the capital city.  They brought the sacraments to the few Catholics there and put tracts explaining the faith under the doors of non-Catholics.  At night, they headed home for their lives would have been in danger if they stayed overnight.  They survived assassination attempts, attacks by wolves, and harsh winters.

After two years, their efforts were apparently failing. Typically, Francis was preaching to only four or five people.  But, he didn’t give up.   He was planting seeds.

After four years, the converts began to come.  First there were one or two, then ten or twenty.  Eventually thousands came back to the church.  This story of the faith and perseverance of Francis De Sales wasn’t the result of legislation or government action.  It is a story of the apostolic work of one man who was driven by the love of God.  He went into the deep with joy and the people responded.   

            In today’s Gospel, four fishermen, James, John, Andrew and Simon, who is later called Peter, meet Jesus.  Jesus said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” Their response is immediate; they left their nets and followed Jesus.  These fishermen trusted the one extending the invitation enough to put their lives entirely in his hands without hesitating.
          When Peter, Andrew, James and John, got up that day to go fishing, as they always did, it may have felt like an “ordinary day.” But on this day Jesus broke their routine and offered them an invitation that would change their lives and reach all the way down to ours. Jesus asks them to leave everything and follow him.  They answered the call and became fishers of men.  This wasn’t easy for them.  Andrew, James, and Peter ran away when they saw Jesus arrested.  Peter denied him three times. Clearly, it was difficult for them to see Jesus arrested and later crucified.  But, after the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost, all four followed their call.  Peter became head of Christ’s kingdom on earth, His Church.  He healed the sick and converted thousands.  Three of the four eventually were martyred for their faith. 

How does this apply to us?  Surely, we cannot be expected to convert thousands like Francis de Sales or to heal the sick like Peter did.  If the Lord asked us to drop everything, we might have some questions: “How will we follow you? Where are we going? How long will it take? How will we support ourselves?” So, what is the Lord asking us to do?

Most of us are to bloom where we are planted.  We are to minister to our families, our friends, and our co-workers.  In fact, we might be the only Christian witness that some of them ever hear.  And because they know us, they are likely to listen to us if they can see the impact of Christ in our lives.

We have so much to do as the body of Christ. Like in the time of Francis de Sales, our world is confused and many have drifted away from Christ.  Change is needed to transform our culture, but this change will not begin with government action.  Instead, the change will begin in the family, and then in the local communities with men and women living Christ-like lives.  Christ wants us to show our family and our community the joy of someone driven by the love of God.  Christ wants us to model compassion, forgiveness and a passion for righting the world’s wrongs. 

Christ is calling each of us to follow him, just like he called Peter, Andrew, James, John, Francis de Sales, and countless others through the centuries.  The Creator of the universe asks us to give him a hand in building his everlasting Kingdom.

Each one of us is responsible for keeping the light of Christ burning brightly so that we can be a light to those we meet.  Our light provides needed hope to a world which has been darkened by sin.  Let your light burn brightly for all to see.  It only takes a small amount of light to brighten a darkened room.  So, your light, small as it may be, is critical for our fallen world. 

What is holding me back from being the disciple God created me to be?  Am I trying to hang on to my boat, my nets, or my father?  God is my Creator and deserves my complete obedience. 

Someone has said that there is a thin line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot. Maybe it’s time we risk looking like an idiot for Christ’s sake. Let’s get on with our primary task—humbly reaching out and ministering to those in need.  Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ.

A diamond or a lump of coal

Last Sunday, one of our parishioners asked me a question that many parents are asking today.  She asked:  “What do I say to my adult children when they ask me why we didn’t just let them choose their faith when they became adults?  That is a very good question for all of us parents.  Should we, as parents, pass our faith onto our children? 

As we read in the Acts of the Apostles, in the first century they baptized entire families.  Why did they baptize children when they were young before they were able to choose faith for themselves? 

Then, as now, the prince of evil, the devil, is a strong influence in the world.  If we are not raised in the faith of Jesus Christ and educated in that faith, we will likely fall for something else.  We are exposed to secularism, materialism, and consumerism as we are encouraged to do our own thing, to look out for number one, and if it feels good do it.  In short, we are constantly exposed to the lies of the evil one.  And he has a strong grip on our society today as he seduces many with his lies. 

As parents, we want what is best for our children.  And we want the best for them not just in this life but in the next one.  So, we give them the gift of baptism, a precious gem, a diamond when they are infants.  This makes them one of God’s adopted children, a member of His Church, and opens them to sanctifying grace.  But, our world doesn’t portray this gift as a diamond.  Instead, it is presented as a lump of coal.  And it is our job as parents to continually proclaim this faith, to shine this diamond, to encourage our children, and to help them see it as a priceless gift.  We do this by educating them in the faith, and by living our faith day in and day out. 

If we don’t live our faith, our children will see faith through the eyes of the world, that is, though the lies of the evil one.  They will see our faith presented as a burden, as a blight on society, in the worst possible way, now and throughout its history.  In short, our society will portray this precious gift not as a diamond, but as a lump of coal.

Faith can be a fleeting thing as we hear in today’s Gospel.  While in prison, John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to ask: “are you the one who is to come.”  In other words, “are you the Messiah, the Savior, the one who Is to establish the kingdom of God in our land, or are we still waiting for someone else?”  Jesus didn’t reply by saying that he was the Messiah.  Instead, he pointed to his miracles as evidence.

John had lept with joy within his mother’s womb when Mary came to visit.  At Jesus baptism in the Jordan, John had pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Why is he asking: “are you the one who is to come?”

Perhaps John was feeling discouraged, locked up as he was, possibly contemplating his own execution.  John could have been asking in effect, “If you’ve come to ‘proclaim liberty to captives’, to set God’s people free, what am I doing here in prison?”  Was John discouraged, was he losing faith?  Or was he asking this question to strengthen the weak faith of his disciples.  We don’t know the answer to that question.  But as parents we can relate to John if he was trying to strengthen the faith of his disciples. 

As parents, how do we pass the faith, weak as it may be, onto our children?  Should we just let our children choose for themselves when they get older?  This clearly is a cop out.  This is avoiding our responsibility as parents.  Our primary responsibility as parents isn’t to raise great athletes, scholars, or outstanding businessmen or women.  Our primary responsibility as parents is to lead our children to heaven, to bring them to eternal life.  If we abdicate that responsibility, we have ignored our most important job.

What do we do as parents if our adult children stray from the faith?  We can follow the lead of St Monica, the mother of St Augustine.  When St Augustine turned away and ridiculed the faith of his holy mother, she didn’t attempt to argue with him.  Instead, she prayed him back into the faith by continually offering her prayers and sacrifices to bring him back.  And she also sought the help of others, especially St Ambrose. 

And we must remember the message of St James in the second reading today.  We need patience.  We cannot expect this miracle to happen in our time.  It may take months or years for the Lord to rescue our children from the grips of the evil one.  In fact, we might not even witness it during our lifetime.  But, like John the Baptist and his disciples, we must cling to our faith as we rejoice and await the upcoming birth of our Savior.

So today, on this Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, let us rejoice.  Let us rejoice for our own precious faith, for this beautiful diamond.  Let us rejoice for the faith of those in our community, and for the gift of family.  And let us rejoice for the miracles of Jesus, especially for the miracle of the Eucharist, as we await His birthday.

Humility

Today’s first reading takes us back to 850 BC in Syria.  Naaman was an Aramean general who had leprosy.  His slave girl, an Israelite, told her master about a prophet in Israel, Elisha, who would be able to cure his disease.  It must have taken a lot of humility and faith for this proud general to go into the territory of his enemy looking for Elisha.  When Naaman located him, Elisha wouldn’t even meet him.  He just told Naaman through a messenger to go and wash seven times in the Jordan River.  Naaman was angry and insulted.  He said:  “Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?”  But, his servants persuaded him to follow the directions of the prophet.   Naaman went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan and his flesh was restored like that of a child.     

Naaman’s pride prevented him, at first, from following the directions of the prophet Elisha.  These directions didn’t make sense to him.  Why seven times?  Why the waters of the Jordan?  Why didn’t the prophet meet him, the great general, and heal him personally?

Doesn’t Naaman sound a lot like us?  We might say: “Why do I need to go to confession, I haven’t done anything that bad?  Why do I need to confess my sins to a priest, can’t I just tell the Lord about them in the silence of my heart?  Why do I need to go to Mass every Sunday, the Lord understands?  Why do I need to go the mass on Holy Days?   The list goes on and on.  Of course, we only object to those commandments and rules that we want to break. 

A wise man once said: “I only know two things for sure:  One, there is a God.  And two, it isn’t me.”  Most of us don’t have too much trouble with the first one.  As we look around us and see the order and the beauty of the world, it is easy for us to realize that there is a God who created us and made everything around us.  But the second statement is quite a bit more difficult.  For, once we acknowledge that we aren’t God; then we have to submit to the will of God, who is far superior to us.   And, sometimes, that God will ask us to do things that we don’t want to do and will tell us not to do some things that we enjoy.  Therein, lies the rub.

We have the most difficulty with God and his commandments when we have committed some sin that we don’t want to let go of.   Then, we’re not really free to follow God and to do his will.  Instead, we are trapped by the devil under the grip of our sin.  The best way to free ourselves from the grip of the devil, to let go of our sin, is to go to confession.  Then, like Naaman, we can be made clean, like little children.  We will have escaped from the snares of the devil and will be free to follow God.

Before the Saturday evening Mass, people wait in line for confession. They range from the young to the old. Their different manner of dress is a sign of their varied social conditions and backgrounds. Nevertheless, there they stand, waiting, a visible acknowledgment that they are sinners. No one gets first place, or goes to the back of the line because of their finances, place of birth, job, or academic degrees. Like the diverse lepers they are united by their shared need. Standing together in the line for Reconciliation, they humbly admit that they have sinned and are in need of forgiveness.  We do the same thing at the beginning of Mass as together we pray aloud, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.”

The gospel today encourages us to voice our prayer as humbly as the lepers did: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” No need for pretense, excuses or false pride to block or alter the request. Bluntly put: “Have pity on us.” We are like the lepers, who did not pray as individuals alone, but as a group in need, “Have pity on us.” We pray for ourselves at today’s liturgy and we pray for those around us in the pews, as well as for the church and the world. “Have pity on us.”

Pope Francis has provided many examples of humility since his election earlier this year.  He recently said: “Let us always remain meek and humble, that we might defeat the empty promises and the hatred of the world.  The way of Christians is the way of Jesus.  If we want to be followers of Jesus, there is no other way.   We must remain sheep, because sheep are meek and humble, and when we are sheep we have a shepherd.”

I will close with a prayer for humility.
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire:
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease. 
That others may be chosen and I set aside. 
That others may be praised and I unnoticed.
And that others may be preferred to me in everything. Amen

Lazarus and the rich man

If there ever was a parable that should keep us awake at night, it is today’s story of the rich man and Lazarus.  Most of us would prefer not to think too much about this parable because we are quite rich compared to many in the world.  So, we may try to convince ourselves that we really aren’t rich, since our cars are several years old, or we don’t have latest electronic devices.   Then, we might skip over this parable and other teachings of Jesus concerning our responsibility to those in need. We are very much like the rich man in our ability to see only those teachings of Jesus that we want to see.

All over the world, those who have much in terms of the world’s goods turn a blind eye toward those who have practically nothing.  But, as we reflect on this parable, we realize that our riches and our freedom create a special obligation for us toward those in need. 

Jesus said in his parable that Lazarus “was laid” at the rich man’s gate.  He was an invalid who had to be laid there. Lazarus was totally helpless. There were no welfare programs. He had no family to care for him. All he could do was beg, but the rich man couldn’t be bothered even to share a few coins. He refused to even acknowledge Lazarus’ existence.

But, there was one who did notice. God noticed. Luke tells us when Lazarus died, “The angels carried Lazarus to Abraham’s side.” What a beautiful image.  It wasn’t friends or concerned neighbors who carried Lazarus home at the end of a long day of begging. It was the angels. God cared about Lazarus.

This parable demonstrates how differently we see the world from the way God sees it. For, in Jesus’ story, it is Lazarus who made a name for himself and the rich man is anonymous. We know Lazarus’ name, but not the name of the man who ignored him. Lazarus knew God and was known by God. His very name, Lazarus, means God is my Help or Helper.

“By naming Lazarus and not the rich man, Jesus’ story completely contrasts with worldly understandings of who’s who.   Jesus reminds us that heaven is the opposite of this world in many respects, especially when it comes to an individual’s worth in society.

God also noticed the actions of the rich man who refused to notice the poor man at his gate. The rich man was in hell because God noticed him. But why did God deal with him so harshly? There is no record of a vicious, glaring sin. He was not cruel, as far as we know. He never ordered Lazarus from his gate or refused Lazarus the crumbs from his table. He was not a tyrant; not an oppressor of the poor, not a monstrous member of society. Rather, he may well have been an  upright citizen, respected and well liked. No earthly court would ever think of arresting or condemning him. In society’s eyes he was honored and highly esteemed. What then was his sin? His was the sin of not noticing.

          How often do you and I take time to notice the people around us--their needs and their concerns? Not just the homeless people asking for handouts on a city street, but the lonely teenager who lives down the street or the young mother trying to keep her family together after her husband has abandoned her. How often do we notice the elderly person whom no one visits; the jobless guy who is being left behind by a culture that no longer values his talents?  How often do we notice the person sitting just a short distance from us in the pew who has just received a devastating report from a doctor?  Do we even notice what other people around us are going through?

It is a sin that afflicts all of us to one degree or another, and yet we rarely talk about it. It is the sin of self-absorption. It is the sin of being so preoccupied and so busy with our own cares and concerns that we give no thought to the problems of those about us.

There are times in our lives, spiritually, when each of us is a beggar lying at the gate totally helpless, and Christ notices us and Christ loves us just as we are. As we remember that truth, that compassion, that grace, Christ calls us to look around and see someone who needs our attention, our compassion, our love. And this person might just remember our generous attention when he or she is in the position to help someone else.  

As the rich man learns in today’s parable, the distance between ourselves and God in the next life may be the distance we put between ourselves and those in need in this life.  We may not be rich men or exploiters of the poor, but each of us should take to heart the persistent message of Jesus – that what we have and desire to have can separate us from God and our neighbor; that our possessions can come to possess us; and that true riches are to be found in sharing what we have with the poor.  Don’t be like the rich man who will forever be remembered as the person who refused to notice. Look around you today; find someone who needs your love.

Will only a few people be saved

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. As he made his way through the various towns and villages on his route, he stopped and taught those who came out to hear him. He was becoming quite a celebrity. Sometimes thousands came out. Yet he knew that most of these folks were merely curious. They were not truly seekers after the truth. In fact, someone along the way asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

My guess is that this was a serious question. Maybe this person assumed that he or she was safely in and asked the question in a somewhat smug, self-righteous way. Or maybe this person asked because he or she was worried about being left out.

Of course, Jesus rarely answered a question directly. Instead, He turns the question back on the questioner. He says, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and not be able to.”

What does Jesus mean by the narrow gate? Does he mean that the number of people who will get into heaven is limited?  This is a frequent topic at the men’s bible studies that I lead.  As an engineer and a logical person, I would like to give a precise answer.  I’d like to say, “yes, 95% will be saved”.  So, each one of us only has to be better than that bottom 5%.  And, salvation then becomes a competition.  But, salvation doesn’t work that way.  We’re not in competition with our fellow man to get to heaven.  In fact, the more of them that we help get to heaven, the better our chances are of making it also. 

We can’t definitively say what Jesus meant when he said that the gate is narrow, but we do know that anything worth having in this world requires work. You want a strong body, you work for it. You want a strong marriage, you work at it. You want a strong company, you work at it. Why should it be any different in our spiritual life?   

A few years ago Karen Phelps, a distance runner, wrote these challenging words, “On this particular day, I didn’t feel like running at all, but I made myself because running is a sport you have to practice every day. I wanted to win races, so I had a set plan for training.  In short, I ran every day, no matter what.”

“One day,” she continues, “as I jogged along on my training run, it came to me that daily training was what my spiritual life needed. Do you know what I’ve learned? Sometimes you may not feel like praying or reading the Bible or going out of your way to help others. But if you’re in training--physical or spiritual--you’ll do it.” Karen Phelps is right on target.

            Today, many seem to have convinced themselves that the Christian life is easy, that it requires only a minimal output of effort. We can turn it over to our priest or deacon and focus on our secular affairs with little or no thought of God.

A recent Gallup Poll found that fewer than ten percent of Christians in this land could be called deeply committed. And most Christians do not know basic Christian teachings and do not act differently because of their Christian experience.

            The narrow gate suggests that Christ loves us whoever we may be and whatever we have done, but Christ expects that we will not stay where we are. Christ expects us to agonize, to strive mightily to live according to the standard he has established for us.  He wants us to discipline us so that we will be fit to share eternity with him as we hear in today’s second reading.

            About twenty years ago, Father Jim Willig came here for a mission talk.  I still remember one thing that he said during that mission.  He said: “The path to heaven is heaven and the path to hell is hell.”  When I heard that, I thought that he had said it backwards.  Everyone knows that partying and having a good time may be great now but it will land us in hell.  Then, I thought about it a little and realized that that when I had followed God’s will for my life I found peace and joy.  But when I did my own thing, in the long run, it brought me sorrow and pain.  So, truly, the path to heaven is heaven and the path to hell is hell. 

            As members of St Francis De Sales parish in Lebanon, Ohio, we have it so easy that we might not have a sense of urgency about entering through the narrow gate. We might believe that we are good enough if we just come to church on Sunday.  We might look at our friends and neighbors and think that we’re doing well spiritually because many of them don’t even go to church.  We might watch the news or reality TV shows and think that we’re are pretty good.  But Jesus tells us: strive, discipline, help others, and some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.

“Lord,” someone asked, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate because many will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”