Sometimes it is easy to wonder - when we hear that God has called us to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ - whether it could possibly mean me, and you, in particular!
The first reading today from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans talks about “foreknowing” and “predestining;” “justifying” and “glorifying.” It sounds like there are going to “just a few” who actually “make it” through to glorification and eternal life with God.
In fact, in the Gospel passage, someone asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
Jesus’ immediate response is not to give a number, but to tell how anyone can be saved: by entering through the narrow gate. He is referring here literally to the various sized city gates of Jerusalem. Some were very small - people had a hard time crawling through them with any amount of paraphernalia, let alone their camels and their pack-animals. But Jesus insists - in his analogy - that very wide gates can attract all kinds of people - some of which can be truly unqualified, by their own life-decisions against God and his ways, from entering the Kingdom; so the way of the narrow gate is the way to go: a way that means sacrifice, vigilance, love of neighbor over love of self, and the carrying of a cross of some sort!
The way of the narrow gate is not an easy way, by any means, that is why God gave any who want to use it, also the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them, to strengthen them - to pray for them to God in groanings that only each of them can understand.
And so, who has God called to glory? EVERYONE!
Who is going to make it to glory? Not those who pray loudly for Jesus to take them to glory but have no deeds to show for it! Not just those who paled around with Jesus, but did not live like he taught; but rather, those who cooperate with the grace of God - those who work for it - those who choose the more difficult path!
May we imitate Jesus’ all the way - into eternity!
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