Reflection for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

When a boy turned 7 in the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta, he was removed from his family and sent to a school where he would begin training to become a Spartan warrior. Part of that training included a contest called the "agon", which pitted two boys against each other in hand-to-hand combat. It was a test of physical strength and endurance. The "agon" did not end until one of the boys collapsed from exhaustion. We get our word “agony” from the “agon” of Sparta, the ordeal that tests the limits of strength and endurance.

A form of this same word (agonizomai), is used in the Gospel text this weekend. The word is translated as “strive”; “Strive to enter through the narrow gate”. Personally, I think the translation "strive" is weak, given that it is a synonym for “try”. When asked about who will be saved, Jesus does not answer by saying, “Try to enter through the narrow gate” or, “Give the narrow gate your best shot”. The word is much more forceful. “Fight" to enter through the narrow gate" would be better and, frankly, sounds more urgent, more like Jesus.

There is no hidden meaning behind this saying. An authentically Christian life inevitably involves us in an “agon”, a “fight” to enter heaven through its’ narrow door. If we think otherwise, then we are deceiving ourselves.

The Chinese warrior Sun Tzu taught, "know your enemy and know yourself", which is a great piece of advice in the contest of Christian discipleship. But what if our opponent is not obvious? What if our opponent is a cultural trend or a social value that is at odds with Christ and His teaching? What if we must contend with a circumstance that challenges our trust in God or pushes the limits of our forgiveness and love? What if our opponent, the enemy, does not come to us blatantly tempting us to do some evil, but comes instead with the equally destructive suggestion to simply excuse ourselves from doing good? “Know your enemy and know yourself”, indeed. The hardest "agon" is always the one that takes place in our own hearts and minds. It is a fight against our tendency to choose our baser and self-serving impulses, to take the easy path and abandon the battle to persevere in faith, hope, and love when the going begins to get tough.  

Even though the fight is difficult and the gate narrow, don't be afraid or discouraged. Jesus Christ has already won the fight. More and more we must learn to hope in Him, to call upon Him in times of struggle or temptation, and to rely on Him during dark and difficult times. The lessons learned through these times are always hard learned, but they cannot be learned otherwise. Conscience, character, and virtue can only be developed when they are tried and tested. As St. Thomas More once said, “no one gets to heaven on a feather bed”.

The lesson is this: don’t just “try” to be a disciple of the Lord. “Fight” to be one and persevere in the battle to enter through the narrow gate. This is not a contest to achieve our personal best. This is the battle for our souls and our eternal destiny.