“Knock, Knock” “Ding-dong!”
“Who’s
there?”
We’ve all been
there, - outside of the door, knocking, ringing the bell, wanting to get in. We
hope the person on the other side of the door will know and recognize you as a
good person to let in. Nobody wants to let a villain in. It’s just plain common
sense. When the door is the door of the White House, the Kremlin, 10 Downing
Street, the Pentagon, ... the stakes are even higher if the person knocking on
the outside is a person of male fide (translation: ill will, bad faith,
no good).
This week’s
scripture reminds us that the gates of heaven too are closed, protected and
guarded and that no one has free access into heaven. When Adam and Eve sinned their access to
paradise was denied. Genesis
We all want to get
into heaven. Jesus, our Savior came to restore our access rights to heaven. How?
In Matthew 16:16-19 Jesus says to Peter and his successors (the Popes), “YOU
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the powers of Hell will
not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven; and whatever you loose (forgive) on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Why was Peter
given this incredible privilege, authority, power and daunting task? First, simply because Jesus saw the depth of
his love and the hidden recesses of his heart and recognized that of all sinful
men, he was the best choice according to God’s Divine wisdom. Peter was
willing to give up everything immediately and follow Christ. It would be
Peter to whom God the Father would reveal Jesus’ true identity, ”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter would deny Christ, run from the crucifixion and hide in fear behind
closed doors. Eventually after the resurrection he would three times express
his love for Christ and post Pentecost proclaim Christ fearlessly until his
crucifixion, upside down, for the faith.
This gift of the ‘Keys of Heaven’ given to the Church is upheld and guarded by the Church through the offices of the Holy Father, bishops and priests. Those who are able to embrace Jesus’ teachings handed down through the Magisterium of the Church, avail of the Sacraments and live the way of the Gospel will knock at heaven’s door with assured hope in Christ’s promise. Saint Peter pray for us.
