PRAYER: KNOCKING 

SO DOORS WILL OPEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Prayer: Knocking So Doors Will Open.”

Tomorrow, August 28^th, is the feast of St. Augustine.

Today, August 27, is the feast of St. Monica, his mom.

When Jesus talked about prayer, he said to ask, to seek, and to knock. [Cf. Matthew 7:7-8.]

Prayer is knocking on God’s door - and for us Catholics, Saints’ doors as well.

ST. AUGUSTINE

St. Augustine, if you read his Confessions, you find out that he knocked on many, many doors. He opened many books. He was with several women. He studied various religions and philosophies - for example, Manichaeanism and Skepticism, and finally full blown Christianity. He went to study in Carthage, Rome, and Milan.

ST. MONICA

If you read his Confessions you also find out his mother tried all kinds of prayers, all kinds of nagging or begging of Augustine, entering the doors of all kinds of churches - to pray for her son Augustine.

CONVERSION

Finally, as you know, he hears a voice and he opens up a copy of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans and he’s converted.

He hears a sing song child’s voice in a garden, “Take and read. Take and read” and he read Paul’s call to change now - right now.

It was sort of like what happened - but in reverse - in another garden - when Eve and then Adam heard, “Take and eat. Take and eat.” And they ate the forbidden fruit.

Sometimes when we pray, we hear these deep inner urges to look at what we’re eating - and realize what’s eating us - what’s killing us -  and what’s giving us life.

MESSAGE

The message from the life of St. Monica has always been to keep praying, keep knocking, keep begging at God’s door - even if it takes 30 years as the life of St. Monica points out.

CONCLUSION

Prayer is knocking on doors.

Prayer is persistence and patience.

How many times have we prayed and prayed, knocked and knocked, nagged and nagged at a son or a daughter’s door and it seemed they would never open up. They always remained shut, closed and it seems they were always unwilling to hear our screams.

Yet we don’t give up, because  we known someone is in there - someone who won’t answering their door. Yet we won’t give up. Hold fast - as today’s first reading puts it - we hold fast to that door knob and shake it - till someone opens it up.

Praying is knowing the best is in there.

Prayer is knowing God is in there.

Prayers is knowing conversion, change is in there.

Sometimes all this takes 30 years.

Talk to St. Monica about all this in prayer. Amen.