“Seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” - Colossians 3:1 

For the past several weeks, we’ve been reflecting on this verse and asking what it means to live with our hearts fixed on heaven. In week one, we had the example of St. John Vianney- a priest whose simplicity and spiritual focus constantly pointed others to heaven. In week two, we celebrated the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Both reminded us that seeking what is above means trusting radically in God’s promises and living with Kingdom readiness. Last week, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, showed us how a heart on fire for heaven can purify earthly motives and draw us into deeper union with Christ.  

This Sunday, Jesus is asked, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” But instead of answering directly, He turns the focus to the ones asking the question. He makes it personal saying, "YOU, strive to enter through the narrow gate.” The Greek word for “strive” is agonizesthe-a word that carries the weight of effort, battle, struggle. It’s not about casually hoping or wishing for heaven. It’s about contending for it. In the first reading Isaiah has a vision of all nations coming to worship God in Jerusalem. The narrow gate opens into the heavenly city-but only for those who actually choose to walk the path, who strive to live for God above all else. 

This Gospel is deeply personal for me. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, everything changed. Churches were closed. My mom died of lung cancer. It was a year of real grief and real loss. But strangely, it was also a year of clarity. Stripped of so many things I once thought were essential, I found myself returning again and again to this image of the narrow gate. Life isn't about coasting. We have been given this short amount of time to fight for hope, for faith, for purpose. And when I heard Jesus say, “You- agonizesthe- strive, battle, contend to enter through the narrow gate,” I heard it not as a harsh demand, but as a loving challenge. Do not “worry about who’s in and who’s out,” but “you-walk the path.” 

That same word appeared in the readings the day of my ordination. In 2 Timothy, St. Paul looks back over his life and says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.” And the word he uses is the past perfect of the word from today's Gospel. But Paul uses the Greek middle voice, something we don't really have in English, to emphasize his understanding that what was accomplished in his life wasn't something he did entirely on his own, and not something done to him by a power external to himself, but rather something that was the result working together with God.  

That’s what I experienced in 2020. Not just striving but striving with Christ. And I needed that truth to stay with me. I had the word agonizesthe tattooed on my arm-a permanent reminder that the narrow gate is worth every struggle. It’s a message of hope for the hard days, and a motivator on the easy ones. And God willing at the end of my life, perhaps on my other arm, I'll be able to say, "I did it. We did it!" 

So I leave you with this challenge: Don’t just wish for heaven. Don’t just believe in the Kingdom-strive for it. Contend for it. Fight for it. With Christ, you’re not alone. Keep seeking what is above-this week, and every week-until one day, like St. Paul, you can say with joy and truth: “We did it.”