Today’s readings aren’t the easiest to listen to on a Sunday morning. St. Paul talks about discipline and the importance of strong self-discipline while Isaiah and Jesus discuss the end times, specifically Jesus tells his listeners that the gate to heaven in narrow and not everyone will be strong enough to get through the gate.

The question asked of Jesus is simple, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” How many seats are in the big arena in heaven? Now, interestingly enough, because God has given us free will, which means we decide if we go to heaven or to hell, Jesus can’t know the answer to that question. So, Jesus tries to motivate his listeners to follow Him closely because the gate is narrow and not everyone is strong enough. Also, I’d like to point out, not only does Jesus tell them the gate is narrow, but also that people who aren’t Jews will get into heaven. When Jesus said “people from the east and the west and from the north and the south will recline at table in the kingdom of God” the Jews listening to Jesus would have become very angry. They believed they were the chosen people and as long as they made the annual sacrifices and prayers in the Temple, the Messiah would save them. That is clearly not the case.

So, my friends, how do we practice the discipline St. Paul encourages us to so that we’re strong enough to enter the narrow gate? How can we be sure we’re going to get into heaven? Is it enough that we come to Mass every Sunday? No, it is not enough. Sunday Mass is required by our Lord, to worship Him on the sabbath, because it is right and just; but coming to Sunday Mass alone is not enough. Sunday Mass literally sends us out as the priest or deacon says “GO” at the end. We’re sent out to bring the Jesus we encounter and become in this sacred space into the world we live in. Is it enough to be kind to people? No, it is not enough. We can be the kindest person in the world, but if we’re not participating in the Sacramental life of the Church, we’re not doing what is right and just to worship almighty God.

The discipline we need to practice is the discipline of choosing the things of heaven over the things of this world. On Sunday morning, when lying in bed or remaining on the couch with our coffee feels better than getting up and coming to Holy Mass, practice the discipline of saying “God is more important than my comfort.” When we’re at work, in the grocery store, on the field and we feel it will be fun to make friends or strengthen relationships by gossiping and talking about others behind their backs, practice the discipline of loving and respecting the human dignity of the persons we want to gossip about. Say to yourself “that person is made in the image and likeness of God, I choose to love them.” Choose the things of heaven, always. It takes discipline. It takes daily prayer, Sunday Mass, and regular confession to have the humility of saying “no” to the things of this world and “yes” to the things of heaven. If we spend our life choosing the things of this world over God, who is love, then when it comes time to choose the narrow gate or the wide slide down to hell, we’ve disciplined ourselves to always choose what is easiest. The slide is far easier than the narrow gate.

Friends, the gate to heaven is narrow, not wide. Jesus even describes the difficulty as a camel passing through the eye of a needle. Being “kind” is not enough. Going through the motions of “looking Catholic” isn’t enough. We must be sincere and disciplined disciples of Jesus by allowing the graces of the Sacraments to change us into Jesus Christ Himself. Then we can be sure we’re strong enough to enter the narrow gate.