“You Will Be Given More” by Beth DeCristofaro

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays. (Malachi 3:19-20)

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. … If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"  (Luke 11:9. 13)

Piety

I believe, Lord.  I believe you hear my knocks.  I believe your healing justice. I believe in your awesome power to know what is my lot and to carry me through it. I believe you will give more than I deserve out of your great goodness.  And I believe I can carry you to others through my life.  I praise you and I adore you with knocks, laughs, tears, touches, holy ritual and, yes, words.

Study

Years ago, I did not show up for a meeting at which I was to help a non-profit agency plan an important volunteer-driven project.  The fact that I was ill did not mitigate the loss of trust and bond between me and my colleagues – in hindsight, I should have encouraged my own workmates to triple check my schedule and alert the clients.  Instead, this agency and my friends with whom I had worked never quite called on me in the same way nor expected that I would be as supportive ever again.  That was a hurtful and humbling experience.

Is it thus with our relationship with our Friend, Jesus?  God’s message, delivered through Malachi, is chilling.  He warns of the arrogant and those who turn from God being punished.  This is a description of the isolation and dread we feel when we let our loved ones down, is it not?  When we place ourselves and our own wants at the center of our being rather than placing God, the source of Life and Joy we experience incompleteness, futility, barrenness.  We don’t really need God’s thunderbolts to punish us if we close ourselves off from God’s compassionate presence.  It is as if we choose the lightning which strikes too closely.

 And who has not experienced those moments that our prayer is not answered with the answer we wish for.  If, however, we are sincerely ready to accept what Jesus’ hands have for us as he opens the door upon our entreaty, in our vulnerability we will be showered with His compassion and understanding.  He supplies answers beyond our expectations.  We will be bathed in the healing rays of God’s sun of justice even if our knocking comes from desperation, fear, uncertainty, isolation, or even anger at our circumstances. 

Action

“Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. We must always remember this. The actual words matter less.”  And “The secret of everything is to let oneself be carried by God and so to carry Him to others” - Pope John XXIII 

How are your prayer knuckles?  Are you receptive to what the door reveals to you?  To whom do you carry the fear of the Lord?

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