The Narrow Door

THE NARROW DOOR

Once Bishop Fulton J Sheen, a celebrated preacher and a prolific writer was invited to preach in a Church which was very far away from his place. As he was nearing the church, he missed the way to Church. He asked to a little boy to show the way to Church. The curious little boy asked him why he wanted to go to Church. Bishop Sheen said to preach. Again the boy asked him on what he is going to preach. Bishop Sheen said that I would be preaching on the way to enter Heaven. With a big smile the boy said that oh you do not know the way to go to Church; how are you going to preach the way to heaven?

The Church on this earth is the way to Heaven. It is the staircase to Paradise. Since the Church is understood by various images such as “Tillage of God the father,” House of God,” “Body of Christ,” “Temple of Holy Spirit,” in the Bible, she is the sure way to salvation. The Church fathers were right in telling that there is no salvation outside the Church, why did they say so? They considered the Church like an ark of Noah. Those who were inside the ark of Noah were saved by God. Therefore those who are inside the Church will be saved because the church like the loving mother nourishes us with delicious and tasty food like sacraments. From birth to death we are being nourished.

Many were criticizing Pope for the statement that he made on Church. He said the church of Christ subsists or exists only in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is the Church of Christ. It is very true. What Jesus said to Simon Peter? "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church..." [Mt. 16:18-9] Let me repeat these Words of Jesus, "I will build my church," not their Churches. There is only One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that was instituted by Jesus. Today every corner we have churches, which Jesus never founded. The Anglican Church was instituted by King Henry VIII in 1534. The Assembly of God was instituted from a revival movement in 1914. The Baptist Church was instituted by John Smyth in 1607. The Calvinist Church was instituted by John Calvin in 1533. The Christian Science Church was instituted by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879. The Church of Nazarene was instituted by the Union of General Assembly in 1919. The Congregationalist Church was instituted by Robert Brown in 1582. The Dutch Reformed Church was instituted by Michelis Jones in 1628. The Eastern Orthodox Church was instituted by the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem in 1054. The Episcopalian Church was instituted by Samuel Seabury in 1789. And the list goes on. None of these Churches were instituted by Jesus Christ. They may all claim to be the true Church, but such cannot be.

The Catholic Church is the way to heaven. And it is the narrow way. John Ossamam says there are two ways; one is narrow which the way of salvation is and the other is wide which way of hell is. One must decide which way to take. The first book of the early Christians is called Didache which is the instructions of the Apostles where it is said that there are two ways before you. One is the way of life and the other is way of death. There is a big distance and difference between these two ways. The way of life is way to love: first love God and then your brother as yourself. In Koran the same truth is said that there are two ways. There is a way of light where the children of light will travel by this way. At the same time, there is another way which is the way of darkness where the children of darkness travel. In today’s Gospel Jesus also talks about two ways. One is very narrow which is a difficult way to travel whereas there is another way which is very wide by which many prefer to travel by this way.

It is good to note that Jesus himself is the way. No one in history claimed that he is the way only Jesus. No one in history has given life to the dead; no one has raised the dead into life except Jesus Christ. Jesus raised Lazar, brother of Martha and Mary, daughter of Jairus, the only son of the widow of Naim. Buddha did not raise any one from dead, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva could not raise any one from dead, Muhammad did not, Confushius did not. Jesus is the way and life. Once he left his Father’s house he taught us to travel through the narrow path that is the Church. Stephen Grellety says that I may live in this world only once if I want to do something beautiful for this world, I must do now because I will not have a chance of coming to live in this world. Being in the church we can do lots of things for others so that others may walk through the narrow path.

Once there were two men trying to enter through a narrow door with a big head load of luggage. With the luggage they simply could not enter. Looking at this scene a great Master said to his disciples: we are pilgrims in this world. Our destination is heaven. And the door to heaven is very narrow. Why should we carry much luggage of our sins on our way to heaven? It is said that less luggage is more comfortable. Therefore carry fewer luggages or nil on your journey to heaven.