Strive to enter by the narrow door
Some time ago one of our brothers, Br Charles, was sanding the door of our friary at Marsa, Malta. While thanking him wholeheartedly for the wonderful work he did I want, most of all, to thank the Holy Spirit who brought my attention to the theme of the door both in the Gospel and the Diary of St Faustina.
Jesus warns us that salvation is not an easy thing. We have to strive to really accept it and let it do abundant good fruit in and through us. We all are familiar with the text of Luke chapter 13: And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, `Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, `I do not know where you come from.’ (Luke 13:23-25). In a nutshell, those who shall enter the kingdom of heaven are the ones who, in Jesus’ words, do[] the will of my Father who is in heaven (Matt 7:21).
In the Johannine Gospel we encounter Jesus saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:7-9). In his homily of April 19, 2016 from Santa Marta, Pope Francis said: The Lord thus clearly says: you cannot enter eternal life by any entryway that is not the door – that is not Jesus. He is the door of our life – and not only of eternal life, but also of our daily lives. Any decision I take, I take either in the name of Jesus, passing by way of the door of Jesus, or I take it a little – shall we say in simple language – through the smuggler’s hatch [It. contrabbando]? We enter the enclosure through the door, which is Jesus.
In St Faustina’s Diary, Jesus lovingly offers us two doors to pass through, either the door of his mercy or the door of his justice. The choice lies with us. He told her: [Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice… (Diary, 1146).
Lord Jesus, you are my door, my only door. Help me to take my daily decisions in your name, by passing by your door which is you. Amen.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
