The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)
. . . an open door to heaven. (Revelation 4:1)
Late in his life, the apostle John found himself on Patmos, a desert island on the Aegean Sea that served as a Roman penal colony. The emperor Domitian had exiled him there as punishment for his continued preaching about Jesus. It may have been a dismal setting, but John made the most of it. He took the opportunity of this time of quiet to compose the Book of Revelation.
Today’s reading contains one of the most fascinating and encouraging images in Revelation: an open door to heaven. Take a moment to think about that: heaven is not locked up anymore. No, it’s open to everyone who welcomes the Lord into their hearts.
By telling us about heaven’s open door, John is inviting us to look in and gaze upon its beauty. He’s telling us that God loves to share his wisdom and insights with us. He’s assuring us that God won’t slam the door in our faces if we try to peer in. Quite the opposite: God wants to reveal himself to us.
Now, it could have been enough for God just to give us a glimpse of heaven, but he went far beyond that. By sending his Son to us and by raising him from the dead, God brought heaven down to earth. That opened door is right in front of you—all the time!
You might be asking yourself, “How can I possibly look into heaven?” Well, think about John in his solitary exile. If anyone could have felt far from God’s reach, it was probably him. But look at what happened. God opened heaven for him.
That same door is open for you. Maybe when you are at Mass, you are struck by how great and majestic and powerful God is. Or maybe gratitude for Jesus’ love wells up in you as you picture the angels and saints praising God. Or maybe an unexpected kind word from a friend gives you comfort and reassures you of God’s provision. Each of these, and so many more, is a glimpse into heaven!
So don’t be afraid to approach that open door. Go ahead and look in. God has so much he wants to show you!
“Father, thank you for the open door to heaven. Open the eyes of my heart to see you!”
Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 19:11-28
Saint John-Paul II
Pope from 1978 to 2005
Encyclical 'Laborem exercens' (©Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
"Engage in trade with these"
Sweat and toil, which work necessarily involves in the present condition of the human race, present the Christian and everyone who is called to follow Christ with the possibility of sharing lovingly in the work that Christ came to do. This work of salvation came about through suffering and death on a Cross. By enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity. He shows himself a true disciple of Christ by carrying the cross in his turn every day in the activity that he is called upon to perform.
Christ, "undergoing death itself for all of us sinners, taught us by example that we too must shoulder that cross which the world and the flesh inflict upon those who pursue peace and justice"; but also, at the same time, "appointed Lord by his Resurrection and given all authority in heaven and on earth, Christ is now at work in people's hearts through the power of his Spirit... He animates, purifies, and strengthens those noble longings too, by which the human family strives to make its life more human and to render the whole earth submissive to this goal" (Vatican II, GS 38).
The Christian finds in human work a small part of the Cross of Christ and accepts it in the same spirit of redemption in which Christ accepted his Cross for us. In work, thanks to the light that penetrates us from the Resurrection of Christ, we always find a glimmer of new life, of the new good, as if it were an announcement of "the new heavens and the new earth" (Rev 21:1) in which man and the world participate precisely through the toil that goes with work.