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Life Life February 2010February 2010

“I am the gate.Whoever

enters by mewill be saved,

and will come inand go out

and find pasture ”

(Jn 10,9) .

Jesus presents himself

as the one who fulfils

the divine promises

and

the expectations

of a people

whose history is

marked

by its covenant, which

has never been

cancelled,

with its God

The idea of the gate is both like and explained clearlyby another image that Jesus used: “I am the way ... No one comes to the Father except through me”.

Therefore he is truly a path and an open gateleading to the Father, to God himself.

What does this Word of Life mean, practically speaking?

There are many thingsthat can be drawn out

from other Gospel passages related to

these wordsin John’s gospel.

But from among them let’s choose the one

about the ‘narrow gate’ we must strive to go

through to enter into life.

Why choose this one? Because it seems that

perhaps it is the closest to the truth Jesus tells us about

himself,the one that best

throws lighton how to live it.

When did Jesus become the gate, flung wide, completely open

to the Trinity?In the very momentthe gate of heaven

seemed shut to him,he became the gate

to heaven for all of us.

Jesus forsaken on the cross

is the gate through whichthe perfect exchange

between God and humankind takes place.

In making himself nothing, Jesus unites the children

to the Father. He is that emptiness,

the space in the gateway, where human beings come

into contact with Godand God comes into contact with human

beings. So he is at the same time

the narrow gate and the gate flung wide, and we can experience

this.

“I am the gate.Whoever

enters by mewill be saved,

and will come inand go out

and find pasture ”

(Jn 10,9) .

In his forsakenness on the cross, Jesus becameour access to the Father. His part has been done.

But to have the good that comes from so much grace,we must, each one, do our small part, which means

to go up to that gate and pass through it. How?

When we are taken aback by disappointment, damaged by trauma

or a misfortune coming out of the blue or an illnessthat makes no sense, we can always remember the suffering

of Jesus. He in taking on himself all these trials, and a thousand others too,

is the personification of them all.

Yes, he is present in everythingthat speaks of suffering.

Every suffering of ours bears his name.

So let’s try, then, to recognise Jesusin every hardship, life’s tough

situations, in all the darkness, our personal tragedies and those of

others, in the sufferings of humanity around us. They are all him, because

he has made them his.

It’s enough to say to him, with faith, “You, Lord, are my only good”. It’s enough to do something practical to lessen

‘his’ sufferingsin the poor and the sorrowful, so as to go through the gate

and find beyond it a joy never experienced before,a new fullness of life.

“Word of Life”, monthly publication of the Focolare Movement.

Original text by: Chiara Lubich, April 1999.

Graphic design by Anna Lollo in collaboration with Fr. Placido D’Omina (Sicily - Italy)

This commentary on the Word of Life is translated in 96 languages,

and it reaches millions of people throughout the world through the press, radio, TV

and internet – for more information visit www.focolare.org

This Powerpoint presentation is translated in various languages

and is published on www.santuariosancalogero.org

“I am the gate.Whoever

enters by mewill be saved,

and will come inand go out

and find pasture ” (Jn 10,9) .