To the One Who Knocks

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

(Abraham said to the Lord:) “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?” (Genesis 18:25)

Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. (Psalm 138:3a)

… he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)

Piety

Lord, I am knocking, full of faith that the door will be opened.

Study

A friend recently hosted a lovely event where we were asked to put on a poster board images and words of the things we really wanted. The idea was that if you name and picture your desires and goals, you’ll be more likely to realize them than if you flail about, flitting from one dream to the next.

It makes sense. If you really want a beach house, you need to take steps to get it—determine where it would be, how much it would cost, how much you would need to save, where you would trim your budget elsewhere, and so on. If you really want to lose forty pounds, you need to take steps to do it—eat less, exercise more, develop other ways to deal with stress, be more mindful of the types of food you eat, and so on. Just talking about having a beach house or losing forty pounds gets you nowhere.

It’s the same way with God. Just talking about wanting a stronger faith or richer prayer life or closer relationship with the Lord gets you nowhere. Ask for what you want, with humility and vulnerability, bringing yourself to Him in total honesty, and you will receive it. Seek God in the good and the bad in your life and in the people around you, and you will find Him. Have the courage to knock on His door, and it will be flung wide open, with Him on the other side, joyously welcoming you.

The question is: Is that what you really want?

Action

Identify what it is you really want from the Lord… and we’re not talking about beach houses and weight loss. Ask. Seek. Knock.