April 1999

Yes, the image of the gate surely touched the hearts of the Jews; passing through the gates of the Holy City and the Temple, they had experienced a feeling of peace and unity, and he prophets had made them dream of a new Jerusalem whose doors were open to all nations.

Jesus presents himself as the one who fulfills the divine promises and the expectations of a people whose story is marked by an alliance it has never revoked with its God. The idea of the door is similar to and is very well explained by another image used by Jesus: "I am the way, no one goes to the Father except through me."⁴ Therefore he is truly a way and an open door that leads to the Father, to God himself.

Practically speaking, what does this Word of Life mean?

Other passages of the Gospel have implications similar to this phrase of John. Let us reflect on the one of the "narrow door" through which we must strive to enter so as to enter into life.

Why did we choose this? Because we feel that perhaps it is the closest to the truth that Jesus reveals about himself; and it best helps us on how to live it.

When does he become the wide open door, completely open to the Trinity? In the moment when the door of Heaven seemed to be closed for him, he became the gateway to heaven for us all.

Jesus Forsaken is the door through which a perfect exchange between God and humanity takes place; in his self-emptying, he united the children to the Father. It is through that emptiness (the opening of the door) that man comes in contact with God and God with man.

In the abandonment Jesus himself became our access to the Father.

His part is done. But to take advantage of such a big grace, each one of us must do his or her small part, which consists in approaching that door and going through it. How?

When we suffer because of a disappointment or a painful occurrence, or because of an unexpected misfortune or an absurd illness, we can recall the suffering of Jesus who experienced all these trials and a thousand other.

Yes, he is present in everything that speaks of suffering. Every suffering of ours can bear his name.

Let us try to recognize Jesus in every hardship, in all the difficult situations of our life, in every moment of darkness, in our personal trials and those of others, in the sufferings of humanity. All these are him because he has taken them upon himself. It would be enough to tell him, with faith, "You, Lord, are my only good."⁵ It would be enough to do something concrete so as to alleviate "his" sufferings in the poor and in those who are unhappy, so as to go beyond the door and to find on the other side a joy we had never experienced before, a new fullness of life.

Chiara Lubich

The commentary to the Word of Life is translated in 90 different languages and dialects, and reaches more than 14 million people worldwide, through the press, and radio and TV programs. If you would like to read experiences of life related to this or to past "Words of Life," they can be found in Living City magazine, the monthly publication of the Focolare Movement. For information, or to subscribe, write to: Living City, P.O. Box 837, Bronx, NY 10465. A book, From Scripture to Life, containing Words of Life with commentary by Chiara Lubich and related experiences of life is available through New City Press, the publishing house of the Focolare, 202 Cardinal Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538. To order the book or magazine, call: 1-800-462-5980. E-mail: ncporder@aol.com.