Breaking the door

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m a symbolism nut and I have to say I think this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

I can also say that as a person entering the Catholic Church as an adult, you’d better be ready to pound on that door for all you are worth…

…because the angry mob behind you that’s trying to pull you away from it is not going to let up and relent easily.

I love this physical example of coming into the Church from the outside - if only they supplied a mob of angry Protestants, Aethists, and family members on the other end to grab at you and pull you away!

Rent-an-anti-Catholic-Mob, hey a new business opportunity!!! What a country.



I can see the symbolism, and it’s beautiful, but pounding on the doors repeatedly could be seen as less a request than a demand. It’s a fine line, IMO. You want the knocking to be heard but not be as violent as a mob beating down the door. More like Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts??

 

[laszlo]

I’m a symbolism nut and I have to say I think this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

Symbolism for what? For the power of the human will?

Are we sufficient to fight for ourselves and get the salvation on our own effort? If not, why to emphasize our effort with symbolism?

 

[JReducation]

Let’s look at some of these points from a theological perspective.

The power of the human will is real and essential for salvation. If we juxtapose the fall of Adam and the temptations of Jesus in the desert we can see how it ties in. Adam falls from grace, because he gives up the will to live. He abdicates his responsibility and opts for the easy way. Eat the forbidden fruit and he becomes like God, become like God and all is good with the world and he is in full control without any effort on his part.

Jesus, on the other hand, exerts the power of the human will. His temptations are very human. He is tempted to disobey, to abandon trust in Divine Providence by tempting Providence, to provide for himself, rather than allow God to care for him. It is through his human will that he overcomes the temptations. Contrary to Adam, Christ comes out of the desert the New Adam and the Garden is restored to its original state where god reigns again, because man assents.

Does the knocking sound like a demand? Yes. Should it? Yes. Man has a right to claim what God intended for him from all eternity. John makes this clear for us in the Prologue of his Gospel. “All was created for Him.” Because man is created for the pre-existing Logos, man has a natural right to demand full communion with the Body of the Logos. It is his birthright. Just as man has the right to be born, he also has the right to be part of the Body of Christ. Otherwise, the right to be born would be meaningless. Why be born in the first place? If we defend the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, it’s for a purpose. Man is not an accident. Human life has a purpose, to live in communion with the God-head. The fullness of communion is found in the Catholic Church. We have a right to be born, live and die according to God’s plan. That plan is in the Church. We find that plan in the Church and we reach its fulfillment in the Church. This is our right. In other words, we have a right to claim, even demand what God has set aside for us.

Jesus reminds us, “For this I came into the world.”

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF