On the straight and narrow path, there are simply no corners to be cut.

I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me – St John the evangelist: (6-100: was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus)

Responsorial Psalm:(PS 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6)

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The solution to a culture that canonizes barrenness, self-promotion, and immediate satisfaction of one’s every desire is the Way of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, you must never kid yourself into thinking that this Way is easy, broad and comfortable. After all, your life is not about you: as the Psalmist sings in the 23rd Psalm, “He guides me in right paths for His Name’s sake.” About those “right paths” we need to remember what Jesus explained to us: “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” [Mt 7:14]. 

Nonetheless, take comfort in the truth that if you follow the Good Shepherd on this narrow Way, you “shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”