Ways To Heaven

Si diligenter audistis evangelicam lectionem, intelligere potestis quae ministris ac sacerdotibus Dei reverentia debeatur, vel quia ipsos clericos invicem humilitatis sedulitate se oporteat praevenire. Ait Dominus percunctantibus discipulis quis eorum in regno coelorum major esset futurus, statuo coram  omnibus puerulo: Quicunque humiliaverit se sicut puer iste, hic major erit in regno coelorum; unde intelligimus quod humilitate pervenitur ad regnum, simplicitate penetratur ad coelum. Quisquis ergo cupit Divinitatis tenere fastigia, humilitatis ima sectetur; quicunque vult fratrem praevenire regnando, prius illum praeveniat obsequendo, sicut ait Apostolus: Honore invicem praevenientes, vincat eum officiis, ut possit vincere sanctiate. Si enim te non laesit frater, obsequium meretur, ut diligas: quod si forsitan laesit, magis officium meretur, ut vincas. Haec enim nostrae Christianitatis summa est ut amantibus vicissitudinem, laedentibus patientiam rependamus. Qui ergo fuerit patientior ad injuriam, potentior constituetur in regno; non enim ad imperium coelorum pervenitur superbia, divitiis, praefectura, sed humilitate, pauperie, lenitate. Arcta enim et angusta est via quae ducit ad regnuum. Quisquis ergo honoribus inflatus fuerit, et auri thesauris dilatatus, tanquam onustum et impeditum animal, per angustum regni iter transire non poterit, simul etiam ut se existimat pervenisse, sarcinam ejus exigua porta non capiens, repercusso limine, retrorsum abire cogetur, tam enim angusta est diviti porta coelestis. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia LXXXV Source: Migne PL 57.445c-447b

If you diligently attend to the Gospel reading you will understand that reverence befits the servants and priests of God, and that the same clerics should be keen to be in a state of humility with one another. The Lord spoke to his disciples about who was to be great in the future in the kingdom of heaven, and placing a child before them, said, 'Whoever humbles himself like this child, he shall be great in the kingdom of heaven,' 1 whence we understand that humility brings one to the kingdom and simplicity bears one to heaven. Whoever, therefore, desires to achieve the Divine high place, let him seek the depths of humility. Whoever wishes that a brother may come to reign, let him first come to serve, as the Apostle said, 'In service coming before one another.' 2 Let him conquer with duty that be able he conquer with sanctity. For if a brother does not harm you, he has earned service, which you should love, and if perhaps he does hurt you, more than a duty you have merited, by which you may conquer. For these things are the height of Christianity, that we should return love to loved ones, and patience to harmful folk. Therefore he who shall be more patient in suffering, shall be more highly placed in the kingdom, for to the kingdom of heaven we do not come by pride, or by wealth, or by status, but by humility, by poverty, by mercy. Narrow and difficult is the way which leads to the kingdom. Whoever, then, is puffed up with honours and bloated with wealth is like a burdened and inert animal than is not able to travel along the way of the kingdom, and even if he thinks himself to have come there, the gate will not allow him with his load to pass, but he will be repulsed from the threshold and forced to turn back, for narrow is the gate of the Divine heavens. Saint Maximus of Turin, from Homily 85 1 Mt 18.3 2 Rom 12.10