The Gateway to Jesus

Every Catholic Church has a tabernacle either in the chapel or in the center of the sanctuary. Before one could get close to the tabernacle, one would have to walk through the sanctuary doors. The doors of course remain locked and are open for the Divine Office or some liturgical celebration. The doors have keys, and so does the tabernacle. A key represents access to something that is forbidden or unable to trespass into another area. In the Gospel of Matthew, he records a parable about the ten virgins. He says, "Here is the Bridegroom! Go out to meet him."

In the Seminary community, the seminarians go out of their rooms in haste to prepare for Mass and Adoration. They go out of their rooms to have an encounter with someone that is about to meet them. They seat at their assign seats as the celebrant and alters servers stand at the back of the entrance of the sanctuary doors.

The doors represent the entrance towards the next step to encounter someone. Although the seminarians, servers, and celebrant might not be fully aware who is coming to meet them, the setting for the preparation is ready with incense, hymns, and prayers. After the consecration of the bread and wine, someone becomes present and visible.

However, there is still another place that needs to be open in order for the celebration to continue. The Deacon or the acolyte make their way to the tabernacle and has a key on his hand to open the door. The door is open and remains open until the he places sacrament back at the tabernacle.

Matthew knew exactly what Jesus was saying when he said, " The bridegroom is here! go out to meet him." The seminarians along with the servers and celebrant go out and meet Jesus in the Divine Office. He becomes present in the Sacrament, the precious Blood and Body of Jesus Christ, to enter another place where he will make his dwelling.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus talks about ten virgins that were wise. Five were foolish and the five of them were wise. The foolish ones did not have enough oil, so they asked the wise ones to share their oil. However, the wise ones did not share their oil knowing that it took them a long time to acquire such expensive oil. The Bridegroom sits in his kingdom, which is the Divine Office and the tabernacle, and the doors are locked. The doors become open once the celebration occurs and Jesus himself walks through the streets of the world in search for those who are ready to receive him. The five wise virgins had oil that kept their lamps burning all night; the light represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ shining in the darkness of the world. The other foolish ones ran out of oil and allow the darkness of the world to overcome the light of the Gospel in their lives.

John, in the book of Revelation, utters the words of Jesus, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and lets me in I will dine with him." When the bridegroom comes out to meet us, He knocks at the gates of our hearts and dines with us when we receive his Precious Body and Blood into our hearts and minds. He fills our cups with oil and keeps the light shining in the darkness in order for others to see. Thus, the only gateway to Jesus is to follow the light that burns every night near the tabernacle, which is called the sanctuary light. Let us be those sanctuary lights so that when the bridegroom comes, we too may go out and meet him.