The Door That Opens Inward
There are doors we spend half our lives trying to open.
Doors into better circumstances. Doors into success. Doors into understanding. Doors into the approval of other people. We push against them, knock upon them, rattle the handles, and occasionally complain that Providence has misplaced the key.
Saint Teresa of Ávila discovered something stranger: one of the most important doors opens inward.
Christ tells the scholars of the law in today’s Gospel that they have taken away “the key of knowledge.” They possess learning, but somehow the learning has become a locked door. Teresa, one of the greatest intellects in the history of Christian spirituality, discovered the opposite. Knowledge of God was not something to possess. It was a door through which one entered.
And behind that door was not an idea.
It was a Person.
Let us begin the morning there.
OPENING VERSE
Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
INVITATORY
Antiphon: The Lord is the King of virgins: come, let us adore him.
Psalm 94 (95)
Come let us praise the Lord with joy:
let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great king above all gods.
For in his hand are all the ends of the earth:
and the heights of the mountains are his.
For the sea is his, and he made it:
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come let us adore and fall down:
and weep before the Lord that made us.
For he is the Lord our God:
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Today if you shall hear his voice,
harden not your hearts:
As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness:
where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I offended with that generation,
and I said: These always err in heart.
And these men have not known my ways:
so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: The Lord is the King of virgins: come, let us adore him.
PSALMODY
Psalm 62 (63)
Antiphon: For thee my soul hath thirsted; for thee my flesh, O Lord.
O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day.
For thee my soul hath thirsted;
for thee my flesh, O how many ways!
In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water:
so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see thy power and thy glory.
For thy mercy is better than lives:
thee my lips shall praise.
Thus will I bless thee all my life long:
and in thy name I will lift up my hands.
Let my soul be filled with marrow and fatness:
and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.
If I have remembered thee upon my bed,
I will meditate on thee in the morning:
Because thou hast been my helper.
And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings:
My soul hath stuck close to thee:
thy right hand hath received me.
But they have sought my soul in vain,
they shall go into the lower parts of the earth:
They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword,
they shall be the portions of foxes.
But the king shall rejoice in God,
all they shall be praised that swear by him:
Because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: For thee my soul hath thirsted; for thee my flesh, O Lord.
Canticle — Daniel 3:57–88, 56
Antiphon: All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all for ever.
All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord:
O ye heavens, bless the Lord.
O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord:
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord.
O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord:
O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord:
O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord.
O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord:
O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord.
O ye dews and hoar frosts, bless the Lord:
O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord.
O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord:
O ye nights and days, bless the Lord.
O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord:
O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
O let the earth bless the Lord:
let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord:
O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord.
O ye fountains, bless the Lord:
O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord:
O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord.
O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord:
O ye sons of men, bless the Lord.
O let Israel bless the Lord:
let them praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord:
O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord:
O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son, with the Holy Ghost:
let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven:
and worthy of praise, and glorious for ever.
Antiphon: All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Psalm 149
Antiphon: Let the saints rejoice in glory; let them be joyful in their beds.
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:
let his praise be in the church of the saints.
Let Israel rejoice in him that made him:
and let the children of Sion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in choir:
let them sing to him with the timbrel and the psaltery.
For the Lord is well pleased with his people:
and he will exalt the meek unto salvation.
The saints shall rejoice in glory:
they shall be joyful in their beds.
The high praises of God shall be in their mouth:
and two-edged swords in their hands:
To execute vengeance upon the nations,
chastisements among the people:
To bind their kings with fetters,
and their nobles with manacles of iron.
To execute upon them the judgment that is written:
this glory is to all his saints.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: Let the saints rejoice in glory; let them be joyful in their beds.
SHORT READING
Song of Songs 8:7
Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing.
SHORT RESPONSORY
My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee.
Thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee.
Hide not thy face from me.
Thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
Luke 11:47–54
At that time, Jesus said:
Woe to you who build the monuments of the prophets: and your fathers killed them.
Truly you bear witness that you consent to the doings of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchres.
For this cause also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute:
That the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,
From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who was slain between the altar and the temple. Yea, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
Woe to you, lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered in, and those that were entering in, you have hindered.
And as he was saying these things to them, the Pharisees and the lawyers began vehemently to urge him, and to oppress his mouth about many things,
Lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch something from his mouth, that they might accuse him.
BENEDICTUS
Antiphon: The wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that instruct many unto justice, as stars for all eternity.
Canticle of Zachary — Luke 1:68–79
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us,
in the house of David his servant:
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets,
who are from the beginning:
Salvation from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us:
To perform mercy to our fathers,
and to remember his holy testament,
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would grant to us,
That being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
we may serve him without fear,
In holiness and justice before him,
all our days.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
To give knowledge of salvation to his people,
unto the remission of their sins:
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God,
in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death:
to direct our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: The wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that instruct many unto justice, as stars for all eternity.
INTERCESSIONS
Christ calls us not merely to know about him, but to dwell with him. Through the prayers of Saint Teresa, let us turn to him with confidence.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For the Church: that she may never mistake possession of the key for entering the Kingdom, but may always lead souls through truth into friendship with Christ.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For bishops, priests, deacons, religious, catechists, teachers, and all who hand on the faith: give them the courage to teach truth with clarity and the humility to live what they teach.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For those who work this day in offices, workshops, farms, schools, homes, hospitals, stores, factories, and on the road: teach us that ordinary work offered in love may become a place of prayer.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For our homes and families: where there is hurry, give patience; where there is misunderstanding, give charity; where there is weariness, give perseverance; and where there is joy, give gratitude.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For those who seek God but believe themselves unable to pray: show them that the first prayer may simply be opening the door.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For those suffering in body or mind, for the lonely, the frightened, the grieving, and those who face this morning with burdens invisible to everyone around them: remain close to them and send them faithful companions.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For those who have died: bring them through the final door into the light of thy presence, where every longing of the human heart finds its answer.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
For ourselves: keep us from using religion as a way of avoiding thee. Give us the courage to enter the room of prayer, close the door, and remain there long enough to discover that thou hast been waiting for us.
Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to thee.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God, who didst raise up Saint Teresa of Jesus as a teacher of prayer and a witness to the transforming power of thy friendship, grant us grace to seek thee with an undivided heart.
Deliver us from a faith that remains only upon our lips, from knowledge that never becomes love, and from prayer that never becomes life.
Kindle within us that holy desire which no flood can quench, that seeking thee in the hidden rooms of the heart, we may find thee also in our families, our work, our neighbors, and all the ordinary duties of this day.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
BLESSING
May the Lord bless us,
and keep us from all evil,
and bring us unto everlasting life.
Amen.
THE PARADOX OF THE DAY
The key to the knowledge of God is useless until we are humble enough to open the door.
CHESTERTON FOR THE MORNING
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult; and left untried.”
— G. K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World, Part I, Chapter V, “The Unfinished Temple”
A CHESTERTONIAN MEDITATION
There is something wonderfully suspicious about a key.
A key is a very small object making a very large claim. It lies on the kitchen counter among receipts, coins, screws, paper clips, and all the other debris of civilization, looking no more important than any of them. Yet one particular bit of cut metal may command an automobile, a workshop, a church, a safe, or an entire house.
A brick cannot do this.
A hammer cannot do it.
A remarkably expensive electric drill cannot do it.
The tiny key can.
The reason, of course, is that a key does not conquer the lock. It corresponds to it.
That distinction might serve as a small introduction to Saint Teresa of Ávila.
Teresa was one of the great explorers of the interior life. She was also wonderfully practical. Mysticism did not make her vague. Prayer did not make her useless. The woman who wrote about the highest reaches of contemplation also founded convents, negotiated disputes, traveled miserable roads, dealt with money, endured illness, encountered opposition, and managed human beings.
This is perhaps one of Christianity’s favorite jokes.
The person who learns to contemplate eternity becomes unusually competent at catching the next wagon.
We tend to imagine the contemplative life as an escape from ordinary life. Teresa discovered that it was a penetration into ordinary life.
And that brings us to the key.
Christ’s accusation in today’s Gospel is astonishingly precise:
“You have taken away the key of knowledge.”
He does not accuse the lawyers of having no knowledge.
That would be much simpler.
They have knowledge. They possess texts, traditions, arguments, categories, rules, precedents and interpretations. They have spent their lives studying the door.
They can tell you its dimensions.
They can probably tell you when it was built.
They can tell you which ancient authority first described the hinges.
And Christ says they have taken away the key.
Worse still, they have not entered themselves, and they hinder those who would enter.
There is a terrible possibility hidden here for religious people.
We can become experts in the architecture of a house we have never entered.
We can know Catholic terminology, Catholic controversies, Catholic history, Catholic personalities, Catholic customs and Catholic arguments while somehow avoiding the unsettling business of sitting quietly before God.
It is possible to know the map and never visit the country.
Teresa would have none of it.
For her, prayer was friendship.
And friendship is stubbornly personal.
You may read the complete biography of a man and still not be his friend. You may memorize his birthday, his education, his employment history, his favorite food and the name of his dog. You may possess more information about him than some of his friends possess.
But friendship begins when somebody says hello.
This is almost embarrassingly simple.
Perhaps that is why we make prayer complicated.
We buy books about prayer. We read articles about prayer. We listen to people discuss prayer. We compare methods of prayer. We worry whether we are praying correctly. We become discouraged because somebody else’s prayer sounds more impressive than ours.
And all the while there is a chair in a quiet room.
There is a door.
There is a key.
There is God.
The difficulty is not usually that the door is locked.
The difficulty is that entering it costs us something.
Chesterton said that the Christian ideal had not been tried and found wanting, but found difficult and left untried. The same might be said about prayer.
Prayer is difficult for an unexpected reason.
It requires us to arrive without our machinery.
In ordinary life we can repair things, organize things, measure things, calculate things, explain things, purchase things, schedule things and occasionally bully things into working.
Anyone who has spent time around machinery knows the satisfaction of finding the problem. A mechanism refuses to behave; one examines it, isolates the fault, adjusts something, replaces something, tightens something, and suddenly the machine runs.
There is a peculiar pleasure in this because the machine does not argue.
Human beings unfortunately do.
God most certainly cannot be adjusted with a wrench.
Prayer therefore begins with the deeply unnatural admission that we are not the mechanic.
We are the machine on the bench.
That is why Psalm 62 is so appropriate this morning:
“For thee my soul hath thirsted.”
Thirst is not an achievement.
A thirsty man has accomplished nothing by being thirsty.
He has merely discovered something true about himself.
He needs water.
The modern world has constructed an enormous industry devoted to disguising thirst. We fill every silence. We carry little glowing rectangles capable of providing an inexhaustible procession of news, arguments, photographs, music, jokes, catastrophes and advertisements.
For perhaps the first time in human history, a man can successfully avoid being alone with himself from the moment he wakes until the moment he falls asleep.
And then Saint Teresa quietly opens a door.
Come inside.
Be still.
You are thirsty.
That is not a condemnation.
It is good news.
For thirst implies water.
Hunger implies food.
A lock implies a key.
And the human longing for God is not evidence that God has abandoned us. It may be evidence that he is already drawing us.
This is where today’s Gospel becomes more than a rebuke to ancient lawyers.
The key of knowledge is not information about God.
The key is the willingness to encounter him.
And a key is useful only when turned.
There is a moment in every morning when Christianity must cease to be merely a collection of propositions and become a life.
Perhaps it happens when we apologize instead of winning the argument.
Perhaps when we put down the telephone and listen to the person sitting across the table.
Perhaps when we do an ordinary piece of work carefully although nobody will ever know who did it.
Perhaps when we refuse to repeat the cruel story.
Perhaps when we stop for thirty seconds before beginning the day’s work and say, simply:
“Lord, I am here.”
None of these actions looks particularly mystical.
Neither does a key.
But small things often open large doors.
Teresa’s great “interior castle” was not somewhere in the clouds. Its front door was carried around inside every human being.
That means the journey to God this morning may be both infinitely long and astonishingly short.
We need not cross an ocean.
We need not climb a mountain.
We need not wait until our lives are properly organized.
We need not first become saints.
We need only begin.
There will still be emails.
There will still be dishes.
There will still be machines that refuse to run, people who refuse to agree, appointments that arrive too quickly, bills that arrive with remarkable punctuality, and plans that Providence edits without requesting our permission.
Teresa knew all about interruptions.
But perhaps an interruption is not always something standing between us and God.
Perhaps God is occasionally standing inside the interruption.
The contemplative discovers this strange reversal. Having entered the interior room, he comes back outside and finds that the world has changed.
Of course, the world has not changed.
He has.
The coffee is still coffee.
The road is still the road.
The difficult person is still remarkably difficult.
But creation has recovered its depth.
The ordinary world begins to look like a house full of doors.
And everywhere, tucked into the smallest moments, Providence has left keys.
So this morning we need not ask for some extraordinary spiritual experience.
We might ask for something much more dangerous.
We might ask for the courage to enter.
The key is already in our hand.
The door opens inward.
And on the other side is Someone who has been waiting for us all along.
FOR THE DAY AHEAD
Saint Teresa of Jesus, teach us to seek God not merely in great moments, but in the hidden room of the heart and in the ordinary duties placed before us today.
May we have the courage not merely to carry the key—
but to turn it.
Chesterton Radio