Ask and You shall receive

Ask, Seek, Knock!

Reading:
Esth C:12, 14-16, 23-25; Matt 7:7-12

Scripture:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7)

Reflection:
In 1942, Warner Sallman painted the scene of Jesus knocking at the door, a door that had no outside handle. If the door were to be opened, it had to be opened from the inside. The painting was a rendition of Revelation 3:20, a verse in which the Lord is seeking entrance into our lives. A great Lenten question: will we allow Jesus to come into our souls and dine with us?

When Jesus tells the disciples to ask, to seek, and to knock, we must realize that Jesus is always the one to take the initiative. He first knocks at the door of our life before we knock on the door of heaven; he seeks out the lost sheep long before the flock seeks the Good Shepherd; he asks us to share our gifts with others before we ask him for renewed grace. Again, we are to emulate the God in whose image and likeness we are made.

So, what will you ask for this Lent? Better health? A deeper prayer life? The healing of relationships? Greater wisdom and compassion? The gift of tears, tears of repentance? A world of justice and peace? These are noble requests. Yet, too often we ask for greater personal recognition, more possessions or control, an increase in comfort and security. We are co-opted by our culture and it is only through the grace of the Holy Spirit that we request what is best for others and for ourselves.

So, what do you seek? The widow sought her lost coin; the shepherd, his lost sheep; the father, his prodigal son. We are all searchers and everyone seeks some form of meaning to life. Most people seek integration in a broken world. Many are looking for depth in a world of superficiality. Such goals are noble. Yet, we can also chase after rainbows and waste our time looking for that nonexistent pot of gold

So, where do you go to find the Lord? In what sacred geography does God dwell? All we have to do is turn toward the mystery of creation and there, in the starry, starry night, in the flight of the eagle, in the beauty of the ocean and mountain, we are immersed in the “divine milieu.” And we can be assured that if we knock, the Lord will open.

Meditation:
What does your heart seek? In what ways does God take the initiative in your life? Have you opened the door to our “pilgrim” God?

Prayer:
"Come Holy Spirit, teach us your ways. Give us the wisdom to ask and to seek and to knock in all the proper places. Prevent us from wasting our time and energy on things that do not matter. Instruct us in your ways, the ways of love, peace, and joy.
A Special Thank You to Esther of http://hicatholicmom.blogspot.com/