"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” We hear this well-known verse as a part of the Gospel reading from St Matthew this evening. I remember that when I was talking to the seniors at St Richard during the Lenten retreat I was giving them about the different names we have for God, one of them remarked that she did not like the image of a door, because she was envisioning a closed door that put up a barrier in reaching God. However, another person at the retreat said that she envisioned a door that opens, giving us access to God. I think of the special door in Cathedrals that opens only for certainly jubilee years. Our image from the Gospel today tells us to knock at the door, for it will be opened for anyone who knocks.
Queen Esther was a Jewish girl who became a maiden at the court of the Persian king, eventually becoming Queen. Through her wisdom and courage, Esther thwarts a plot against the people of Israel. In our first reading, Esther prays to the Lord that she may speak his word, asking him: “Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion.” She wants to speak God’s word to the king of Persia, to be God’s holy message. Esther is certainly afraid, since she knows that her life and the lives of many Jews depend upon what will happen next. However, in the face of this adversity, Esther places her faith and trust in the Lord.
Sometimes we are afraid to open the door, we are afraid what will happen next. Sometimes, it is difficult taking the first step and taking a risk. The Lord tells us to knock at the door. We have to be willing to take that chance no matter how scary it may seem.
