Is 66:18-21 / Heb 12:5-7, 11-13 / Lk 13:22-30
During Desert Storm, I had the privilege and honor of being a chaplain for a battalion of Marines. The motto for the battalion was Fortuna Favet Fortibus (Fortune Favors the Strong). It became one of my favorite Latin quotes almost immediately.
Jesus gives us a similar — more pointed — statement in our gospel this weekend: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”
Can we really think, after hearing this from Jesus, that we can just coast into heaven? “Someone” asked Jesus in our gospel reading how many would be in heaven. What Jesus comes back with is, I think, a rebuke of the question asked. Jesus is warning His listeners that they need to focus on their own holiness.
Let me make two points of concern for today’s Christians:
1. There are many “Christians” — Catholics among them — who think that their Christian faith is sufficient in itself. Just believing in Jesus, or claiming to be a member of His church is not enough (sorry!). As a Catholic, failure to come to Mass every Sunday means failing to strive toward heaven.
2. Many of our evangelical brothers and sisters are still under the impression that they are not called to work out their salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) — or at least they talk that way by dismissing the need for good works.
We must become strong in our practice of our faith. If we do not, Jesus warns us that we will not be admitted to heaven. It seems by our gospel reading today that only those who are striving for strength will enter heaven. Notice it is the striving — the struggle — that is wanted by the Lord. Not many of us are able to be like St. Teresa of Avila, or St. (Padre) Pio, or any other Saint the Church has recognized. What we are called to is the struggle.
Fortuna Favet Fortibus is a great saying, but even better is to strive for saintly strength. However far we grow in that strength, God will judge.
