The Narrow Path

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

I’m not a big poetry fan, but there are certain authors who I like very much. Scotland’s Robert Burns is one and, of course, America’s own Robert Frost. I suppose the fact that I can easily visualize the settings of many of their poems helps. But Frost, in particular, has an attraction to me because much of what he wrote speaks to the Catholic in me. His poem “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” was read at the Inauguration of President Kennedy in 1961 and I think that probably stuck in my mind and led to my love of Frost. Also, there was a Catholic missionary named Tom Dooley who wrote many books about his work in Asia. Two of his book titles drew from Frost’s poems: “Promises to Keep” and “Miles to Go Before I Sleep”. I read both books at a fairly young age (if I were to say how old it would sound like bragging LOL) and his words, as well as Frost’s, and President Kennedy’s call to service, had a profound effect on the rest of my life.

This poem brings to mind a section of Scripture where the Lord described two other “roads” between which we have to choose.

Two from Which to Choose

“Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

In a previous article, I wrote about the “fake news” which some teach in lieu of the “good news” of the true, Scriptural gospel. They teach that how we live our lives has no impact on our eternal destination. Theirs is an easy path… merely “believe”. But neither the Scriptures nor the teachings of the Catholic Church know of any such path.

The path described in these verses is entered through a narrow gate. One cannot enter such a tight squeeze encumbered with baggage. That “baggage” is our sins and the Scripture knows of only one means of being freed from them and that is the Cross of Christ. Repentance, Confession and Baptism are the means prescribed in Scripture to receive God’s forgiveness and enter into the New Covenant in Christ’s Blood. The Lord warned that any who seek to enter some other way is a thief.

The Path is Narrow Too

“The Catholic life has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” Paraphrase of G.K. Chesterton

Once we get through that narrow gate, the path gets no easier. I think many people when they read these verses picture a little country path with soft grass off to either side. If one wanders off the path no biggie! Just step back on the path and press on. It would be much more accurate to picture a mountain path with deep ravines on either side. Now staying on the path is not just a matter of convenience but rather of life or death.

This why the Lord says that there are few that walk this path whereas many choose the wide gate (“Just as I Am”) and broad path. Simply put, that route is easier and less demanding of the individual. In science, there is something called “the path of least resistance”. Anything that flows, rather water or electricity, will seek the easiest path to get where they are going. The same is true with people and especially in this day of instant gratification. The broad path says you just pray a little prayer or fulfill some denomination’s requirements to be called “saved” at one point in your life and you’re on your way.

But note the final destination of each path. The broad one leads to destruction… meaning Hell. The narrow path leads to eternal life. It requires that one pay careful attention to staying on the path. But the Lord has provided means for us to do just that… the Sacraments. Reconciliation with penance, Mass, the Eucharist, and the Rosary all help us to watch our footing all the way to the end. We also don’t travel alone, for the Lord has promised never to leave us nor forsakes us. The psalmist says that He is “a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” God has promised, “… he that endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22b)

In Conclusion

Just as Robert Frost said at the close of his poem:

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Which path you choose will indeed make “all the difference” … not just in time but also in eternity. Take the one less traveled by that lies beyond that narrow gate. God bless.