33rd Tuesday in Ordinary Time
Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22; Luke 19-10
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). The Lord, true to His word, desires to enter our assembly. He presents Himself as the long-awaited guest. He humbly knocks at the door and then patiently waits to be admitted. This scene reminded me of a part of the Byzantine Liturgy, where the deacon intones: “The doors! The Doors! Let us be attentive.” A commentary interprets this verse to mean: “Open wide all the doors, that is, your mouths and ears, to the true wisdom, in other words, to all the high things you have learned and believe about God. Be constantly saying and hearing these things, and furthermore with zeal and attention.”
Gathered around the table of the Lord, we are encouraged to open our ears and our hearts and our minds to the wisdom of God. As we break open the Bread of the Word, the Spirit that is encapsulated in the Word overshadows us. As we break and eat the Bread of Life, we are drawn into communion with the Living Lord. Having opened the door of our hearts to Him who knocks, we will find ourselves dining at the feast of the Lamb. Not only will Christ seat us next to Him, He will also clothe us in garments of glory that reflect the majesty of God.
In order to be seated near to Christ, we must open wide the doors of our hearts and grant him entrance under our roof. If we bid him welcome, the Lord for whom the heavens are too small will make His dwelling within us. He who is nearest the heart of the Father, desires to draw us close to His heart. With hearts expanded with the inexpressible sweetness of love, we will live in a communion of love with all whom God loves. We have this testimony of Christ: “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35).
Responding to the call of grace, like Zacchaeus, we will need to surmount every barrier that keeps us from Him. Because God first loved us, Christ comes and knocks on the door of the heart. Because Christ respects our free will, waits for us to open the door for him. Let us listen to his voice and submit our will to him, recalling these words of Jesus taken from the Gospel of John: “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (Jn. 14:23). “The doors! The Doors! Let us be attentive.”
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