I’ve been hiking Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona most of my life. It is a vigorous forty-five minutes to the top. Near the peak, the end suddenly appears much further away, and steeper. At that moment, a descending hiker often offers encouragement: “Keep going! The peak is right there. It’s not as far as it looks. You can do it!” It usually works. After another five minute push, you summit and enjoy a glorious panorama of the Sonoran Desert in the Valley of the Sun. When Jesus is asked about how many people are saved, he says: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate” (Luke 13:24). How many? Strive! Focus on your journey. What does heavenly census taking have to do with you or me? How would it help a hiker on a mountain to ask the others coming down, “How many people are going to make it to the top?” A normal response would be something like: “How is that a relevant question? Carry on!” Jesus links one virtue directly to salvation: perseverance (cf. Matt 24:13; hypomone in Greek). Strive! Endure! Keep going! The one absolutely necessary virtue is perseverance, to not give up on our journey. The mountain we struggle to climb is often our own weakness, failures, and sins. Persevere in prayer. Keep celebrating the sacraments. Embrace daily duties. With God’s grace, you are strong enough to keep going. Perhaps the peak is not as far away as you might fear. Keep going! — Father John Muir
