Enter through the narrow gate : The Catholic Church is the narrow gate

He said : To what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in the branches thereof.And again he said: Whereunto shall I esteem the kingdom of God to be like?

 It is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. And he went through the cities and towns teaching, and making his journey to Jerusalem.  And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them:  Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. -Luke 13:18-23 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

The Gospel Reading tomorrow says enter through the narrow gate and many shall seek to enter and shall not be able.

Similarly Matthew 7:13 says 'Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! '

The narrow gate is the Church, the Catholic Church, the only Church that Jesus founded. It is the Mystical Body of Jesus(1 Cor 12:12-31; Col 1:18; 2:18-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19; 4:13). There was only one Church at the time of Jesus. There were no Protestant communities .There was no schism which created the Orthodox Church.

For salvation from Hell all need to enter the Catholic Church, said Jesus.This was the narrow gate outside of which there is no salvation. There is no salvation without Jesus in the Catholic Church.

The Bible passage which precedes tomorrows Gospel Reading also refers to the importance of the Catholic Church for salvtion.

He said therefore: To what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in the branches thereof.And again he said: Whereunto shall I esteem the kingdom of God to be like?

 It is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.-Luke 13:18-19

The Kingdom of God cannot be separated from the Church says the Declaration Dominus Iesus, of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.Jesus cannot be separated from the Church.In Acts 9:4 Jesus identifies himself with the Catholic Church.

'And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.'Acts 9:4

The Catholic Church is compared to the man who finds a treasure in a field and sells everything to have it. It is the pearl of great price.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.  Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls.-Matthew 13:44

The Catholic Church, is the pearl of great price, it is the treasure that the man finds in the field and sells all to have it, it is the mustard seed and the great tree,it is the leaven and it is the narrow gate, through which all must enter to find salvation.Most people do not take it and so go to the fires of Hell.They choose the wide road.

-Lionel Andrades