At the end of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to “enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). This passage isn’t about the number of people who get to heaven, but rather the way there.
Fortunately, at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us the path to the kingdom of heaven in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-10). Specifically, the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Poor in spirit” can be confusing to some. It simply means being humble of heart and recognizing our dependence on God. Here are some thoughts to help keep focused on the kingdom of heaven by using words that begin with the letter “D.”
Detach — We are called to “think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Detachment helps keep us focused on growing in virtue and pruning away vice in our lives. Even to the point of eliminating those little venial sins that may become routine behavior like that occasional curse word, that little white lie or parking in the handicap parking space without a placard. Why? Because tolerance of “little” sins puts on us the path to the wide gate — becoming slaves to bigger sins.
Depend — We are called to depend on God’s providence and not our own self-reliance. The more God-centered we are, the more we see His active presence in our lives. We grow to trust in Him more no matter the circumstances. We believe that He really does have a better plan for us. This also leads to growing in patience. Not only do we trust God has a better plan, but we trust in the timing of His plan as well.
Deny — We are called to be less selfish and more selfless by denying our wants and helping others obtain their needs. Keeping focused on Jesus helps keep us living in the present moment. Sometimes when we think too far ahead, we become anxious about our future and the future of our loved ones. When we are fixated on the future, we tend to live a life of scarcity and not one of abundance. We are afraid we won’t have enough. We become stingier with our gifts in the present and reluctant to help those with their current needs.
Desire — We are called to desire the good for others. This is another word for love and helps in two ways. First, it helps us focus on the things we can do and not worry about what we can’t do. Second, it helps us pray for our enemies, which is what the world needs more of right now. Praying for our enemies increases our capacity to love and to show mercy. It’s easy to love people that love us; it’s harder to love people that don’t love us back.
The narrow gate keeps Jesus at the center of our lives. The narrow gate actually makes life less complicated and more joyful. Each decision we make either moves us closer to the narrow gate or moves us away from it. There is no standing still. Which gate are you headed toward?
David Baranowski is the director of stewardship education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. He and his wife are parishioners at Assumption in south St. Louis County.