Words from Father Yohanes: Knock, Step Inside the Narrow Door & Embrace Life

We are born without a fixed map. We live in a space and time that is vast and immense. Each day, we face many doors to open, many roads to follow, and countless possibilities. Yet life cannot be lived in a neutral way forever. Sooner or later, we must make a choice. With this obligation, space and time - once wide and open - are narrowed down to one: our own life decision.

We choose a path - becoming a priest, a doctor, a police officer, or marrying the life partner we love. Each choice demands commitment and faithfulness. When we make our choice, the many possibilities and doors are reduced to one: our vocation. Though we may select one path, the world still offers us a thou-sand alternatives. Some are tempting, persuading us to break our commitment. But once we have chosen, we are called to remain faithful.

Faithfulness does not mean the end of growth; rather, it is the most mature way to grow within what we have chosen. It is the quiet strength to remain rooted while the world around us shifts. In a culture that celebrates constant change and endless options, faithfulness dares to go deeper rather than wider. It is not the absence of change, but the presence of purpose. The narrow door that Jesus speaks of is not a restriction - it is a refinement. It filters out distractions and leads us into a life of depth, clarity, and grace. In the end, our dignity is measured not by how often we change courses, but by how faithfully we walk the path we have embraced.

This is the core value when Jesus says, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:22–30). Jesus spoke these words to His disciples while journeying to Jerusalem. In this context, Jerusalem symbolizes His destination. He began His ministry in Galilee and ended it in Jerusalem - where He was crucified. Jesus invited His disciples to learn how He Himself entered the narrow door and remained committed to it. It was called a narrow door because Jesus had everything. He was the Son of God, but He emptied Himself and became man like us.

Indirectly, Jesus wanted to tell His disciples that He had already accomplished His mission - He had entered through the narrow door. Now the next task was theirs. Jesus knew the journey would not be easy, so He invited them to learn from His experience.

Through this great lesson they received in Jerusalem, each of them fulfilled their mission: St. Peter went to Rome, St. Andrew to Greece, St. James to Jerusalem, St. John to Ephesus, St. Thomas to India, and the rest of the apostles to their own missions. They all succeeded. They were faithful to their commitment.

Based on this context, striving to enter the narrow door is an invitation for all of us not to live a neutral life. The Lord invites us to make our choice for life and be faithful to that commitment. This is a sacred passage. It represents clarity of purpose, the courage to commit, and the grace to persevere. It is the door of depth, not width; of meaning, not comfort.

To knock on this door is to ask God for direction. To step inside is to embrace our calling. And to remain within is to discover heaven - not only as a future promise, but as a present reality lived through love, sacrifice, and faithfulness.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.