The morning came around and the “cock crowed”….."Cock a Doodle Doo”…And Peter the “tough guy” was no where to be found!…Why did that happen?….Jesus Prayed - Jesus Stayed….The Disciples Slept - The Disciples Ran!…Do you hear that all you “tough guys”!

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of Luke…Jesus tells us something that breaks the American narrative of what many mainstream Protestants refer to as “Once Saved - Always Saved”…These are Jesus’s words not mine - So don’t shoot the messenger.…."Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough”…Let’s breakdown what Jesus just said….First off, the road to heaven is narrow, which implies its the road less traveled….Which implies we as Catholics must be in the world but not of the world…This means we must be “set apart” and not like “the crowd”…Why is that?…Catholics are called to be a “light on the hill” for the world…In order to do that, we can not be “like the world”…What else is found in that one sentence from Jesus?….Jesus says that some will “not be strong enough”…What does he mean by that?….This statement implies effort is required by those who “walk on the narrow road”…..And since we are all human, which means we are all sinners, will need divine assistance to “walk on that road”…Why is that?…Well, lets look to what Jesus just said…On our own, “We are not strong enough”…I can hear all the “tough guys” out there saying right now…”That is what you think!”….My answer to all the “tough guys” is remember our friend St Peter…..When push came to shove, Peter denied his friend three times…In fact, every single one of the 12 disciples ran away…Why is that?…Because the road to heaven is “narrow”…And because of that in order to stay "on the road" we need divine assistance…What is that divine assistance?…..Daily Prayer, Weekly fasting and living a Sacramental life…..Do you hear that all you “tough guys” out there!….The road is narrow!

“The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down”

For the past 30 years I have taught the Catholic faith in many different capacities…One of my go-to stories about the need to pray and stay connected to Jesus and his Church is this story….If you heard it before, bear with me!…..The night before Jesus was to be killed he went to the Garden of Gethsemane with his 12 friends…Scripture tells us that his 12 buddies all fell a sleep while Jesus spent the night in prayer….In the morning the Roman guards came to take away Jesus…And the 12 disciples all ran away…Let’s break this story down to one sentence…”Jesus Prayed - Jesus Stayed….The Disciples Slept - The Disciples Ran!”…Remember, Jesus was God and he still felt the need to pray to his Father in heaven for the grace to remain faithful to his mission…The disciples, took for granted the task at hand and slept…And as we all know they were “not strong enough” and ran away….This is something I remind myself all the time and frankly anyone who reads this should take note….Jesus instituted a Church…And the Church gives us the Sacraments, which provides us with divine assistance to “walk the narrow road”…If you think you are going to do what Jesus and the gospel asks of you relying on your own strength…I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you!........Do you hear that all you “tough guys”!….The road is narrow!

“The Lord is faithful in all his words. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.”

The saints know that without God, we can do nothing!…..If we look to the lives of the saints, they will show us what can be accomplished when we “stay connected to the vine”…Not only will we “walk the narrow road”…But we will conquer the world in the name of Christ, who says to us today very clearly….”In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”……I can go on and on about how the saints faced down the very powers of hell in this world……The saints show us the way!….And only the saints change the world

“The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down”

Getting back to the gospel today from Mass….Jesus tells it like it is…The road to heaven is narrow…But what he also tells us and I am hear to remind anyone who reads this is, we have all the “tools” we need to walk that road!….God did not leave us orphans!…He walks with us and sustains us…But do not be deceived by the ancient serpent who whispers in your ear….”You do not need God”…Tell the devil to beat-it!…..Because we must cooperate with the Lord, he can not save us without our cooperation….And if you think you can do it all by yourself…Remember what happened to St Peter…The morning came around and the “cock crowed”….."Cock a Doodle Doo”…And Peter the “tough guy” was no where to be found!…Why did that happen?….Jesus Prayed - Jesus Stayed….The Disciples Slept - The Disciples Ran!…Do you hear that all you “tough guys”!