Thursday, First week in Lent - March 2, 2023
The WORD in LENT: Esther 4: 17; Matthew 7: 7-12
Ask, and you shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened to you; seek, and you shall find it - this teaching is nothing new to us! But it is very often interpretted only as a teaching about the trust that one should have in prayer - that we will received, that we will have it opened and that we will find what we seek. There is another subtle angle to this teaching that is very often bypassed - our responsibility!
Yes, the Lord knows what we need, what we seek and what we expect. And yes, certainly the Lord who is our loving Father and Mother shall deign to give us what we need. But these certainties do not in anyway take away the responsibility that each of us have in this regard - to ask, knock and seek actively, regardless of the fact of God's mercy, kindness and generosity.
This is the perspective that comes out strongly when today's first reading and the Gospel are reflected upon together. Esther is a wonderful example in this regard, who makes us understand that peace is responsibility. It is not failing in one's responsibility. Peace does not happen, it has to be created, constructed, built up and nurtured. Yes, it is the doing of the Lord, but we have our role to play, failing which we shall not have it.
Jesus explains that in his beautiful words. He begins with saying, ask, seek and knock, but ends with that injunction: do unto others, treat others, how you would like them do unto you! You cannot leave everything to the question of chance, not even to the magnanimity of the other. It has to begin from you, the Lord says. Wellbeing has to begin from you; shalom, peace has to begin from you, because, peace is basically responsibility!
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