It is no accident that the words “disciple” and “discipline” come from the same Latin root word meaning “teaching”. As disciples of the Lord Jesus, we are taught through discipline.

The chief teaching to get through the narrow door is two-fold: pick up your cross each day and love God and neighbor. This seems easy, but it is really heavy duty. All we need to do each day is to stop. look at a crucifix and see what Jesus did out of love for each one of us. And He asks us to do the same.

Jesus is saying simply in the Gospel, today, put everything you have into getting through that narrow gate. He continues to state that many will attempt it, but will not be strong enough or not willing to put the real effort and discipline in to get through the narrow gate.

It may be that when we are tempted to compromise our ethics or Christian values or ignore our conscience; and do something we shouldn’t or fail to do what we should — omission and commission are both serious; we close the narrow gate, which means that we now have an old gate and possibly a new gate to get through. Think of the last faults that have closed the gates of your life into heaven, and that may be a reason to pick up the cross today.

From our second reading from the Book of Hebrews, we are told that God’s discipline is given out of love to keep our conscience strong and our feet on the narrow path. Our first reading is from Isaiah the Prophet to let us know that no one has an inside track on eternal life and getting to heaven.

The Jews were the Chosen People, and though they had the inside track to salvation, they failed to hear the words of Jesus. This statement, “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last,” is not easy to accept, believe and live with. We are not in charge, but God is the One who both disciplines us, and calls us to discipleship.

The ladder of success for the disciple is the discipline of the Cross. We often act and think that climbing the ladder of success and doing better than the next guy or doing the best humanly possible we are going to go far. We may go far on this earth but not get through the narrow gate to heaven.

The cross and ladder of humility are the best ways, and it takes genuine lowliness to hear the Word of God, and both keep it in our minds and heart, and let it lead our actions. God is not really interested in how big we are or how successful, but how well we stop to pray, eat at His table the Eucharist, and act in the discipline of a disciple.

We must put faith, hope and love first. Realize the fact that many of us plan big things for tomorrow, in spite of zero knowledge of the future. Know your future is for heaven and act now for it!

It is important to put our gifts into action if we wish to get through the narrow gate. This means we must be different from one of the most successful men in a community, who seldom gave money or any donation or charity.

The pastor of the church went to ask him for a donation and said, “You have hardly given anything to the support of your church or the works of charity. Would you like to help?”

The man replied, “Did your research show that my mother is ill, with medical bills, several times her annual income; my brother is blind and unemployed; my sister’s husband died in an accident, leaving her penniless with four young children.”

“I am sorry,” said the priest. “I had no idea.”

Then the wealthy man said, “If I don’t give any money to them, why would I give it to you and the church?”