An Open Door

Ecce, inquit, ostium apertum in coelo. Ositum apertum Christum dicit natum et passum ac suscitatum, qui est janua, ipso dicente: Ego sum ostium. Coelum Ecclesiam dicit, eo quod sit habitaculum Dei, ubi coelestia geruntur. Hoc est quod sicut in coelo voluntatem Dei, ita fieri postulamus in terra. Aliquando autem coelum et terram et Ecclesiam dicit, propter terram quae et coelum consistit, sive cum infideles rectis fidelium praedicationibus acquiruntur, sive cum caro spiritui subditur, sive cum terrena coelestibus reconciliata junguntur. Ecce vox illa prima quam audivi ut tuba loquentem mecum: Ascende huc, inquit, et ostendam tibi quae fieri post haec oportet. Vox praedicatio; ideo dicitur: Quasi tuba exalta vocem tuam. Ascensus est, quando cum despectu mundi venire ad Ecclesiam quisque vel compellitur, vel meretur. A convalle autem plorationis ascenditur ad hujus apicem dignitatis; hinc legimus: Venite, ascendamus in montem Domini et ad domum Dei Jacob, et docebit nos vias suas. Sed etiam fideles ad coelum invitantur ascendere, quando non quae super terram, sed coelestia appetere jubentur et sapere. Primasius Adrumetanensis Commentaria in Apocalypsim, Liber I, Caput III Source: Migne PL 68.813d-814a

Behold, a door open in heaven... 1 By the open door he speaks of the birth and suffering and raising up of Christ, who is the door, as He Himself said, 'I am the door.' 2 He speaks of the Church as heaven, because it is the dwelling place of God, where heavenly things are brought forth. This is as the will of God is in heaven so we entreat it to be on earth. 3 But sometimes he speaks of the Church as heaven and earth because the earth is established by heaven, either as when the faithless are brought among the faithful by right preaching or when the flesh is ruled by the spirit, or when earthly things are brought into harmony with heavenly things. 'Behold, the first voice I heard, like a trumpet sounding forth, said to me, 'Come up here and I shall show you the things that must be after this.' The voice of preaching, therefore it is said, 'Lift up your voice like a trumpet.' 4 The ascent is when with the world set aside someone comes to the Church either by compulsion or by merit. And from the valley of tears he ascends to the peak of dignity, hence we read, 'Come, let us go up to the mount of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and He shall teach us His ways.' 5 For the faithful are invited to ascend to heaven when they are commanded to desire and know heavenly things, not worldly things. Primasius of Hadrumetum, Commentary On The Apocalypse, Book 1, Chapter 3 1 Apoc 3.8 2 Jn 10.9 3 Mt 6.10 4 Isaiah 58.1 5 Isaiah 2.3