See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. (Jeremiah 21:8) There are two paths before man that he must choose whichever he walks in. The difficult leads to eternal life while the easy way leads to death. HG Bishop Benjamin of Menoufia in his article “The Path Between the Wide and the Narrow” explained to us that the narrow path is the path that the Lord Jesus recommended to us, saying: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (Matthew 7: 13). This narrow road is described by St. Paul as a path characterized by fatigue, vigils, fasts, strikes and other hardships, and few choose the narrow path, but many choose the wide path.
But why do so many enter through the wide door and few enter through the narrow door? St. Jerome says: “Beware of the desires of the world because they weaken the heart and eliminates the spirit of perseverance and makes people give their spiritual struggle up. Therefore few people continue to be joyful in the cross of the Savior to realize the true resurrection and eternal joy that exists only in heaven.
This means that the fundamentals of eternal life is: First, guarding against the desires of the world. Second, we should follow the steps of the fathers and saints. Third, we should seek God s will and follow it. Fourth, we have to struggle in the way without boredom and tiredness, but with the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
We ask God to give us strong heart, which does not weaken before the temptations of the world, grant us that we walk with inner joy in the narrow path, and be confident in His promise to grant us the eternal life.
