‘All can enter eternal life, but for everyone the door is narrow,’ says Pope Benedict in Angelus address
Sunday Angelus
Pope Benedict XVI delivering the Sunday Angelus address at Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo, Aug 26, 2007 / 09:33 am (CNA).- The way to eternal life is narrow because it is demanding, requires commitment and denial of one’s own selfishness, Pope Benedict XVI said today in his Sunday angelus address. He was referring to today’s Gospel in which Jesus calls on his followers to strive to enter the “‘narrow gate’ to eternal life, because many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able”.
“What does the ‘narrow gate’ mean?”, the Pope asked pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. “Why do many not succeed in entering through it? Is the way reserved for just a few elect?”
The Pope said it is often a trap and a temptation to interpret this passage as a reference to religious practice as a source of privilege or security. But in reality, “the message of Christ is actually quite the opposite”, the Pope explained. “All can enter eternal life, but for everyone, the door is narrow. They are not privileged. The path to the eternal life is open to all, but it is narrow because it’s demanding, asks for commitment, abnegation, and the mortification of selfishness”.
The Pope said that to pass through the narrow gate, means “we must commit ourselves to being small, that is humble of heart like Jesus; like Mary, His and our mother”. “Christians call upon Her as Ianua Caeli, Heaven’s Gate,” the Pope said. “Let us ask Her to guide us in our daily choices and take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate’.”
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 4:19 PM
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