Ash Wednesday Reflection: Jesus Knocking

From CatholicWikipedia

Rev. Nicholas C. Ciccone, Jr.,Ph. D.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find.

Knock, and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks, receives.

The one who seeks, finds. The one who knocks, enters. . . .

“Treat others the way you would have them treat you: This sums up the law and the prophets.”

Matthew

Have you ever seen the painting that shows Jesus knocking on a closed door? If you have, you will recall that the most unusual feature of the painting is that there is no handle or knob on the door.

When asked, the artist explained that this wasn’t an error or oversight. The door represents the human heart, and the human heart can only be opened from the inside.

This painting comes to mind as the Christian community begins this new Lenten Season of 2009.

The opening Gospel this morning, has Jesus telling us to Ask, to Seek and to Knock. It seems as though heaven too, has a door that can only be opened from within!

Jesus encourages us to be diligent, to keep on Asking, Seeking and Knocking. But I wonder why we’re asked to keep it up?

Is it that God is hard-of-hearing, or that there are too many other people competing for God’s time and attention?

I think the reason is that we are hard-of-hearing! There are too many things within our lives that compete for our attention and take us away from God!

In truth, the only unanswered prayers are God’s prayers for us.

I think we tend to think of prayer as our sending orders to God: “Send Rain, or Snow;” “Send a good-looking boyfriend or girlfriend;” God I need an ‘A’ on this exam for Miss Melody or I’m in trouble,” or for us working with our families and patients in Hospice, who ask the questions so often: “God, take away my pain, my feeling of worthlessness and isolation, why can’t I just die,” or “God, why are you doing this to me, I’m not ready to die, perform a miracle, make me well!”

But Jesus reminds us in this Ash Wednesday Gospel, that Prayer is not our sending orders to God, but rather, it’s us saying to God: “ Hello God, Here I am, ready, able willing and reporting for duty. What assignment do you have for me today!”

Prayer is not a matter of trying to change God’s mind to suit us, but it’s trying to discover within our own lives, within our own hearts, what’s on God’s mind.

What is on God’s mind for us? What can we do as we start this Lenten Season and look to the future?

First and foremost, we are called to be a people of faith. We show our faith by centering our lives on Prayer, Eucharist and Penance. If we as a community come together to worship, this is the first and most important step in our continued growth as a healthy, vibrant community.

Secondly, we are called to be a people who spread our faith, our call to follow Jesus Christ, to our community. We do this by how we live our lives at home, in our neighborhoods, schools, workplace and community. How well do we encourage our family, friends and neighbors to come to worship with us? Are we proud to proclaim the faith given to us through Jesus Christ?

Thirdly, we are called to be a people of service. We are called to use our time, our talent and our treasure to continue building our world, our neighborhoods, our families, into the truly sacred and holy place that treats every person with respect and dignity.

As a Hospice Team, We proudly serve the people entrusted to us through our presence, our outreach and the generous sharing of our talents and expertise when people are most vulnerable.

If we focus our attention to this end, we will continue to grow, to develop and to flourish as children of God.

Jesus tells us today as we begin this Lenten Season to ask, to seek and to knock, and to keep it up.

If we stay at it, we may eventually open that door to our hearts, a door that can only be opened from the inside.

Rev. Nicholas Ciccone, Ph.D

Care Alternatives Hospice of Massachusetts

Boston, MA