One of the most amazing things in life is that so many choose not to have it. Millions of people will say, “I believe in Jesus!” That belief does not bring salvation unless the person also obeys.
Today’s Reading, from Mt. 7:6, 12-14, proves that point:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”
The “dogs” and “swine” refer to people, lost souls who refuse to believe and obey. We are told that they should not receive what is holy. For starters, that means they should not receive The Sacraments. We may infer we should be careful telling some hardened souls about The Sacraments and where they are provided. His warning is clear: their hatred and dislike of all that is holy will make them “tear you to pieces” if you provide it.
The “Do unto others whatever you would have them do to you.” sums up the Law and the prophets of the First Programming Log.
We who are blessed by obeying He Who fulfilled the prophets’ predictions understand His guidance: “Enter through the narrow gate”. It applies to we who seek and find life. Where does He tell us that “life” comes from? He is clear in John, 6:53, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood, you do not have life in you.”
Those who avoid this passage do not think Jesus is talking directly to them. That lack of faith causes them to be lost. All who freely decide to stay away from the one place where His Body and Blood may be received have chosen not to have life in them. They have chosen not to be allowed to pass through the “narrow gate” and travel down the “constricted” road that lead to life.
Those who complain about The Church are not able to “shrink” their vanity sufficiently to pass through the “narrow gate” and along the “constricted road”. They choose to not get on the road that leads to life. They often end up disliking The Church whose rules they disobey in order to sin and pretend they aren’t.
Jesus tells us that there is only one road that leads to life. We may reasonably infer that all other roads lead to death. Not good news for those in schisms.
If we ignore His instructions : “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood, you do not have life in you.” we are told, very specifically, that we are headed for death.
