One of the main themes I share in my weekly blogs is the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with Jesus. The closer we are to Him, the greater our hope of spending eternity with Him in Heaven. If we don’t make Him our priority in this life, why would we seek Him in the next?
Jesus tells us to strive to enter through the narrow gate. That path is narrow because it requires effort, and not many choose it. The world offers a wide and easy road, but it leads only to emptiness. Think about how often people do the bare minimum. It’s easy to rationalize our way out of commitment. We might say, “Going to Mass isn’t necessary. After all, we are the Church.” Or, “Confession isn’t necessary. I can confess straight to God.” Some may even ask, “Why involve God in marriage when a justice of the peace will do?” Yet every sacrament draws us closer to God, and receiving them often strengthens our relationship with Him. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Do we settle for the minimum required to know Jesus, or do we seek His grace as fully as possible through the sacraments He gave us?
Entering through the narrow gate doesn’t require perfection, but it does require effort and sacrifice. We must not only nurture our relationship with God but also love others by putting them first, letting go of pride and arrogance, and choosing charity. Loving God and others seems simple, yet I struggle with it every day.
None of us will ever be a perfect Christian. The saints weren’t perfect, and God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. What He asks is that we keep walking toward Him. We run into trouble when we stop trying or when we focus more on what we think will make us happy rather than on what truly brings joy. Seek to really know God and improve your relationship with Him, and you will naturally be drawn to Him.
