A protective cocoon surrounds the President of the United States. No one gets near him unless they are carefully vetted beforehand and watched closely. The personal information of the president is very carefully hidden and managed. The White House staff only puts out for public consumption what the president wants communicated to the people. In the case of the president, this assures his safety and the security of his office. However, it makes it impossible for him to be approached by the people and cuts off his contact with the people for whom he is supposed to be working. Of course, this level of security was not always thought necessary or even helpful. At the beginning of the American republic, the White House was the people's house in more than name. The house was truly open to petitioners who could call on the president by walking up to the front door, even though this did not guarantee that he would see them. There were also regular weekly open houses hosted by the president. The violence perpetrated against the president snuffed out this open approach to government. Everyone would admit that is an unfortunate turn of events, even though the clock cannot be turned back. It would be better to have the opportunity for the people to approach their president.

Christ our Lord has opened His Father's house to us (Jn 14:2-3) and He is the only way in (Jn 14:6). We can approach Him personally and individually because He is one of us, truly human, born of Mary. He has invited us to approach Him. His Father's house is always open to us. He was willing to risk the violence of those who might approach Him when He was incarnate and walked visibly among His people. He did not seek to flee the grasping hands of those who sought His life (Lk 13:32-33). The hypocritical petitioners approached Him attempting to derail His campaign, but He refused to flee their prying eyes and grasping hands. He scorned their threats. When they came to arrest Him because He said much they had found impolitic and inconvenient, He went quietly. His campaign for our freedom culminated when He embraced the death they demanded of Him. He laid down His life that His people might always have perfect access to the house of His Father. His cross displays before us the very door to our salvation, Christ Himself (Jn 10:9), who gains entry to our Father's house for us.

We do not gain entry to our Father's house but the Son brings the fullness of divine gifts to us, His people. To approach His presence through any door other than Christ, is to attempt the impossible. It would be like trying to breach White House security by hopping the fence and running toward the House over the lawn. No matter how swiftly you could run there is no chance that you would get face to face with the President. Only Christ Himself could open the door into the presence of our Father. If He escorts you in, you are truly in. This is what it means to say that without the article of justification, there is no Christianity. We Christians are totally confident of our righteousness before God and our perfect access to our Father because this is given and assured to us by Christ, God's Son. Christ has made God known to us. Fully known. He gives us access where we have deserved none.