21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are all spoilt for choices. In these day and age, we find ourselves having to make decisions every day of our life. Gone are the days when life was much simpler and we had lesser choices to choose from. This is especially true when it comes to eating, the most annoying answer that we can get or give would be “anything” when asked to make a choice. 

But the fact is that it is anything but anything. Most of us already have something in mind but most times we let others make the choice. Sometimes it’s also because our choices are not really valued. So we decide to just keep quiet.

Whatever the choice, especially when it comes to food, once a decision is made, we still need to decide what we really want to eat, especially when we are in a food court, with multiple choices. Of course, we would take many factors into consideration, how much are we willing to spend, how hungry are we, what appeals to us at that present moment etc. These are the considerations when we need to choose what we want to eat.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about choosing to enter the narrow gate instead of the wider one. Again, Jesus gives us a choice, but not so complicated, narrow or wide door, simple right? Or so it seems. We all know what is the difference between the two, the thing is, which would we choose? Human as we all are, we would sometimes choose the easier path, enjoying our life without regard for God, we would end up further and further away from God.

Let me give you an example from my own experience, that of the religious life. Having seen a few communities in few different countries, I find it saddening that compared to countries like Spain, Taiwan and Indonesia, we in Singapore are the most spoiled. We want comfort and grumble when placed in uncomfortable conditions. I’m saying this simply because we as religious have chosen to give up the things of the world and live a simple life. But the examples that I have seen so far is not very edifying.

My point is this, we profess that we want to follow the ways of the Gospel, but many a times, this is just a lip service. In the end, it is our own comfort that we look out for, and this is the wider gate that Jesus warns us about. I think if I remove all the air conds and replace them with just fans, more than 90% of our religious will not be able to cope.

I’m not saying that all of us should live like beggars but I think a ife of simplicity and moderation should be the way. This is the narrow gate which many prefer to avoid. Squeezing our way through the narrow gate means that we have to endure the conditions of the gate, we will get hurt in the process because we will scrape against the wall, and sometimes we may have to force our way through.

Similarly, if we lead too comfortable a life, I believe that our encounter with God will not be as intense as that of one who lives a simpler and harder life. Without hurts and failures, our need for God will be less. This is what it means to go through the narrow gate.

It is normal human tendency to choose the easy way out, we want convenience and comfort, but that will not lead us to God or heaven, just as we know that delicious and tasty food is seldom healthy. The choice is up to us, no one can force us to choose what we don’t want, we need to discern our choices every day. Let us then, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, make choices that are wise and that which will lead us to God.