Narrow Gate

And he went through the cities and towns teaching, and making his journey to Jerusalem. And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them: Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. But when the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: Lord, open to us. And he answering, shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are. Then you shall begin to say: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. And he shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, they are last that shall be first; and they are first that shall be last.
Luke 13:22-30 (Douay-Rheims)

Prayer

Dear Father how truly narrow the gate is and one that is very difficult to get through. I remember trying to squeeze through a gate opening that was locked as a kid and suffering the pains from it. The struggle to gain an inch past the gate. Taking deep breaths and letting it out to try to make myself smaller. But then I also found out the hard way that to get through it was doing exactly that, making myself small. Not puffed up and bloated, full of myself, but the opposite. Isn't that what it means about the first shall be last and the last shall be first, when we let go of our hold and make ourselves small, removing pride and all that keeps us away from you. Dear Father I have made myself so small that I often go unnoticed. I've worked hard to squeeze through the narrow gate and my reward was in finding you.