This is a beautiful rendition of the True Path to Holiness. It reminds of how St John Paul II described our journey in his the Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Inuente 33: It is a journey totally sustained by grace, which nonetheless demands an intense spiritual commitment and is no stranger to painful purifications (the "dark night"). But it leads, in various possible ways, to the ineffable joy experienced by the mystics as "nuptial union". How can we forget here, among the many shining examples, the teachings of Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Avila? I hold the Path to Purification near and dear to my heart, as I think of how our Church Doctors explained it. They beautifully spoke of our progress through the different stages to the Beatific Vision: The Purgative Way…The Illuminative Way…The Unitive Way. St Theresa of Avila gave us her “mansions” of development to Union with God. Incredible insight for the adversity we face in our life journey. I truly understand that this teaching is difficult for many. Our approach to others must always be met with appropriate measures, but Truth can never be compromised. I often find good folks being attracted to the “comfort Gospel.” The Love of Jesus must always be at the forefront of our discussions with our brothers and sisters and this is directly displayed at The Cross, yet, I do believe that some of God’s Children, want to forget about Holiness through Sacrifice, yet Our Savior came to us for that very reason. It hurts my heart when I encounter difficulties, as I sometimes try to suggest to others, the importance of searching our very souls. I know it’s not easy to perform a deep dive into our very being, trying to determine hidden motives. Society states that we should always look at the good within. I feel as though we are sometimes told to deny the bad we possess. If we look at St Paul, he states, “I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.” (2Cor 12:5) Why would he say this? Let’s move a little further along these passages, “I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Cor 12:9) Referring back to the Church Doctor’s Path to Union with God, we find that as we progress along life’s path, we must be willing to purge all sin from our being. We need to seek out our hidden motives. Self deception is very common to all humanity. So I ask…Are we ready for this journey? Are we prepared for the internal battles we will face, as we strive for the True Peace Jesus brings through the Holy Spirit? I pray for our world and I will continue to work towards unveiling the reality of our true selves. Satan wants us to live in the Gospel of “what we want to hear.” Jesus did not pull any punches, as He challenged the religious authorities of His day. Look closely at His words. Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Brothers and sisters…Let’s walk down the narrow path. It is hard, but the reward at the end, is beyond all our imaginations. The most incredible part of our journey, happens when we totally surrender to Jesus Christ, then, the difficult path, suddenly gets much easier. We can all live with that…Eternally. Praise God!!!