DOORS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 26 Thursday in Ordinary
Time is “Doors”.
Picture yourself on a black leather couch - or in a soft chair
- in a psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s or counselor’s office - behind closed
doors - and the counselor - in a moment of quiet - said to you, “Doors?”
What would be your reaction? What would that image
trigger?
Would your face go, “Huh” with a question mark attached to it?
Translation: what are you talking about? What are you asking?
The psychiatrist had been at Daily Mass that Thursday
morning and the word “doors” - appeared 3 times in the gospel - which got
her thinking about doors.
However, the preacher said nothing about
doors - but got off on something about God as a great listener - as the first
reading from Malachi put it.
But the psychiatrist - for the rest of the Mass - and
during her session with her first client
of the day - had begun thinking about doors.
THE DOORS OF A LIFETIME
In fact, that evening while driving home - before she got
to her garage door - before this psychiatrist
opened the door of her car to get out - before she got to the side door to
go into her house - she felt thankful - as well as intrigued about all she
heard about doors from people that she sat with that day in therapy - in
helping people move towards healing.
In fact, she asked all 5 clients that she had that day -
what does the word “door” trigger for you?
She heard about
feelings of being locked out by one’s spouse . She heard about how difficult it
was for one person to go thought the doorway of an Al Anon meeting - because he
was worried about word going around town that one’s wife was an alcoholic. The psychiatrist
heard from client # 3 - how he was shown
the door by a boss. He was fired from a law firm. The psychiatrist heard how
hard it was for someone to knock on a psychiatrist’s door. “What? Will people
think I’m crazy?”
She was a just a psychiatrist. In fact, based on what folks said about Catholics and
religion, two of her patients would be totally surprised that their therapist
was a church goer - more - a daily Mass goer - except for Saturday morning. She had an open door attitude towards God -
who was open to everyone. She had on
open door attitude towards people - their habits and peculiarities - their
disorders and their disarray at times.
She also heard one of her 5 clients from that day saying
that she often goes to God and pounds on God’s door as Jesus had said, till God
unlocks the door and gives me my daily bread. This client - # 4 - said that her
favorite Bible text was Jesus’ words, “I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
So even though the priest said nothing about doors in the
morning Mass homily, she had a profitable day asking people to give their thoughts about what the image
of a door does to their psyche.
CONCLUSION
And that night after eating and being with her husband
and her kids - after a game of cards and watching their favorite TV show - she
headed for her favorite chair - before going to bed. The chair was on their back porch. She opened up the porch door and
sat down for her 15 minutes of quite reflection on her day. She had been doing this for years now -
before heading for bed.
She breathed a few good deep cool night air breaths. She
looked out into the night sky and thanked God for a wonderful - but very long day.
Then she closed her eyes and opened the door in her soul to her inner
room - and spent the next 10 minutes of
quiet listening to our God.
Ooops. She fell asleep and her husband opened up the
porch door and said, “Are you coming to bed sleepy head?”
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Painting of lady on couch: Meridienne by Edouard Manet
