The Church as an open door
As Arthur Miller composed Death of a Salesman he made this observation about his main character Willy Loman, “If I can make him remember enough, he will kill himself.” I have a friend, actually more than one, who has left the church. If I can make them remember enough, they will come back to the church.
Picture this: a child wears his father’s boots and has his dad’s mitts flopping loosely over his hands as he struts across the floor saying, “I am daddy!” The father observes and thinks, “You precious little snapper. You don’t know how much I love you.”
When I was a child sitting in church observing the crucifix, I noticed that Jesus’ head leaned to one side. In imitation of Jesus, I leaned my head to the same side. In retrospect, I can imagine what Jesus was thinking as he watched me imitating him.
As adults we are called to love Jesus Christ and to follow as his disciples. God gives us many graces and the incredible life of Jesus through the Eucharist to make it easier to stay on track. God is still our father and observes our imitation of Christ with boundless love.
Back to my friend who struggles with faith commitment. The solution to living a grace-filled life is to live within a larger narrative or story that encompasses all our spiritual needs and our eternal destiny. The Apostle’s Creed gives us such a narrative.
We believe in God the Father who created us and the world. We believe in his son Jesus, born of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe in the suffering and death of Jesus, sacrificed for our sins. He rose from the dead, giving us the hope and promise of rising after our physical deaths.
Jesus left us the church to guide our journey. The church leads us through the scriptures and traditions, which teach us all we need to know to trust in God’s plan for our journey towards heaven. Jesus provides food for our journey by sharing his very life in the Eucharist.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
The Catholic Church has proclaimed a Jubilee Year of Grace to bolster us on our faith journey. During this year, special blessings and graces will be available to the faithful who participate in designated pilgrimages, prayers, and sacraments.
The theme Pilgrims of Hope for the Jubilee Year 2025 emphasizes the journey of faith, especially the hope found in Christ. As pilgrims, we are called to embark on a journey that emphasizes several spiritual practices: visiting holy sites, reconciliation, acts of mercy, prayer, and reflection.
The church is an open door to salvation. A few days before Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, he told his fellow cardinals, “I have the impression that Jesus is locked inside the church and that he is knocking because he wants to get out!”
Pope Francis became the only pope to personally open the Holy Door to inaugurate a holy year without closing it himself after the year ends.
Through this open church door we still hear the words of the late Pope Francis, “Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.” Pope Francis said faith in Jesus Christ helps one to joyfully live life “on wings of hope.”
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