Did I raise your hopes up? Wish there was a One-time password (OTP) to Heaven? The answer as you know is a simple ‘No’ but I must say we need all the help we can get to that mansion in the sky!
And thus I remember reading about another way to Heaven? Tongue-in-cheek but yet not altogether untrue. So here is a truncated modified version.
A conversation between St. Peter and Jesus.
St. Peter was once troubled when he noticed the presence of several souls whom he did not remember having let in through the doors of Heaven.
He complained to Jesus and together they observed what was happening.
“Should we not close this entrance, Lord?”
Jesus, smiling and even delighted with the scene, replied:
“No, no … Leave it alone. This is Mama’s thing!”
Mama Mary had left a huge rosary hanging, allowing a multitude of souls to climb steadily up to Heaven.
Gate of Heaven
Mary is the Janua Cœli, Heaven’s Door or the Gate of Heaven. This is St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s favourite name for our Blessed Mother. Realising that in her illness her time on earth was short, St Elizabeth entrusted herself to the care of the Mother of Carmel, to lead her on to enter the gates of Paradise.
Our Mother Mary holds the title of Gate of Heaven “because it was through her that our Lord passed from heaven to earth.”
Backtrack to Eve. Remember her? We have to admit that although sharing is caring, she had a part in the fall of man, though the majority of the blame tends to fall on Adam. One would then say it is fitting in God’s mercy that as it was a woman who began the destruction of the world, so a woman should also begin its recovery. Some say Mary is a second and a better Eve, taking the first step in the salvation of mankind.
Mediatrix
Here’s another title of our Mother Mary – she is a mediator of grace, a Mediatrix. Since Mother Mary gave birth to the Redeemer, who is the source of all grace, she is in this way the channel of all graces to mankind. However, it would be an error on our part if we thought we should pray for all graces only through Mother Mary, or to believe that her intercession is necessary to obtain divine blessing.
But we know that Mother Mary’s ways are God’s ways. She is committed to be the handmaid of the Lord. She’s all about helping us find our way back to God. Listen to her.
That Stairway to Heaven awaits us.
Shared by Karen R-Fong, a wannabe tai-tai who wants to retire in a library of books and to read with our Lord to her last days.
Inspired by:
Mary, Gate of Heaven by Cardinal Newman, www.cardinaljohnhenrynewman.com
You know the one about St. Peter investigating how souls were entering Heaven without his permission, www.aleteia.org
Mediatrix, catholicculture.org