Saturday of the Second Week of Holy Lent

The Gospel according to St. Matthew (7:13 – 21)

    ”“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.“

    Our Lord said: I am The Gate, and He also said: I am The Way. So how is it narrow and difficult ?

    The gate of the body is wide for the carnal people and the path of the body is welcoming to them, they live according to the lusts and measures of the body as they are dragged to the bodily pleasures, its glory and false pride.

    The wise Solomon recorded this trial in the book of Ecclesiastes to show the good of human beings in all generations. He went through the wide door and the spacious path from the side of the pleasures of the body, the lust of the eyes and the greatness of living, and said: ”Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.“ Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.

    + As for the commandment of The Lord Jesus to us in this Gospel, "Enter from the narrow gate," He linked it to the ultimate goal, which is eternal life, ”For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.“ Galatians 5:17.

    ”And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.“ Galatians 5:24.

    And because He said: ”Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.“ Luke 9:23.

    If there are many struggles, fasting, watchfulness and worship, it seems from the outside that it is difficult or narrow, but its real reality is that those who lived it through Christ are living eternal life. As the apostle Paul said to his disciple Timothy, “…lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called .“ I Timothy 6:12.

    When the fathers experienced entering through the narrow door and walking the path of anguish, they walked carried by Grace and were filled with condolences, and they began to say ”Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“ II Corinthians 12:10.

    And as St. John said: ”…And His commandments are not burdensome.“ I John 5:3.

    And the saying of our Lord Jesus himself: ”Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”“ Matthew 11:29-30.

    It has also been written that ”For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,“ II Corinthians 4:17.

    And St. Peter says: ”for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.“ II Peter 1:11.

    + ”.. you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.“ John 16:20.

    + ”…if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.“ Romans 8:17.

    If eternal life is the Grace and the goal, all pains and distress will be easy, ”…after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.“ I Peter 5:10.

    ”looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“ Hebrews 12:2.

    With this narrow door and the anguish road, Jesus called, saying, ”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.“ Matthew 11:28.

    The divine call is from His blessed mouth to all the enslaved and burdened without restriction and unconditionally. If the Lord did not say it like this, who would believe? It’s too enormous for the mind to understand, something truly amazing. This immediately puts us in front of the question: Where am I from this divine call? Am I distressed truly and heavy ladened? Obviously, the answer to this question is from our practical and daily reality: that there is no one who is not complaining and groaning about troubles and the weight of heavy loads.

    And if The gate of Christ is so open and His call is standing, then what? Do we lack faith? And do we not believe? And when the Master says I will give you rest and comfort you, is there another who can? And when He says I'm comforting, isn't He capable of everything! He is the one who says: Come to Me. It doesn’t need contemplating about it, but in fact, it. needs action .. I get up and go..

Fr. Louka Sidarous

(14/22)