March 18: Third Day in Rome

We woke up this morning well rested. We are on the 4th floor of a small hotel with a little balcony. There is a slight breeze coming in the window, birds singing and the sounds of a city waking up drift in. 

A couple weeks before I left two friends, Sue and Ludee told me of the opening of the holy door in Rome. Pope Francis has declared this year a Jubilee year. Jubilee years may happen every 25 years or so.  He has declared this Jubilee year a year mercy. Pilgrims should make their way to a Holy Door. There are four Holy doors in Rome where it is traditional for Catholics to make a Pilgrimage. However Pope Francis has declared that this time each diocese may open a Holy Door in an extravagant act of mercy. This is very unusual.

For me, what is important is to prepare your heart and soul to be intentional in your act of pilgrimage. Be clear and open to an encounter. When stopping at the Pilgrims office we were given a leaflet with prayers to open our hearts and souls for our path to approach the doors. 

There are yellow arrows to point us to the beginning of our path. We begin by going through metal detectors. 😚 We stop to pray for all those we carry with us for whom we ask for Mercy. We approach the Basilica, we are told we can step in to pray where it is quiet. We walk the ramp, step in front of the Pieta. The statue of Mary holding Jesus by Michelangelo. We pray the Magnificat and gaze upon the statue. We then move with the crowd further into St. Peter's. I am confused. Where is the door? I ask an attendant and he points to the glass doors at the ramp where we entered. I turn to Scotti and begin to laugh. We passed through without knowing!  All that preparation, all that anticipation and we are in before we know it. We quickly go back to the door and start to go out so that we can enter again. The guardian at the door says no there is no exit once we are in. He does allow us to pause touch the door and pray. 

Once inside the door again we are on the verge of giggles. Scotti says see, no struggle. That was easy!

It reminded me of my time in Spain in the beautiful cathedrals. We were told that they were created to give the people the sense of what it would be like in heaven. 

I said to Scotti, perhaps this is the true story. Perhaps when we die we will cross over without even knowing. After all Jesus did die for us so that we are reconciled to God forever. And how easy was that? We crossed over and were surrounded by beauty and there was no going back. 

We spend so much time preparing, trying to be worthy and anticipating union with God.  And yet the door is always open we just have to walk through it. The rest of the day we just keep smiling at our experience and our pleasure.

After lunch we spent the whole afternoon at the Vatican Museum. It is extraordinary. We end the tour with the Sistine Chapel. In the Chapel there is so much to see in the pictures and there is almost to much to take in. Our eyes rest on Michelangelo's last judgement. I think of the last judgement in contrast to the open door. Perhaps we spend to much time concerned about judgement and to little time in the joy of being given life, talents as seen in the many artists, and the freedom to live full lives. 

Lesson Learned: We are invited to come in and experience love and joy. The door is open. Be merciful to all.