Thursday of the First Week

Reflection

“Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  As I read these words, my experience as a mother comes to mind and all the many, many times during the day when I hear “Mom?”  Whether it be daytime or the middle of the night and no matter where I am in the house, they come to seek and find me with both trivial and more serious requests.  They seek me out to share an exciting moment, to be reassured, to ask a question, or to be comforted when hurting.  And more often than not, when they are desperate to find me, there is no knock at the door, but a rushing in to wherever I am!

As I think about the way my children seek to find me, I wonder if we do the same with God.  Do we turn to God throughout the day as frequently as young children seek out their parents, or do we often try to do things on our own?  God is always there for us when we too need to share excitement or gratitude, for reassurance and comfort.  As in the first reading, Esther, while “seized with mortal anguish”  prayed to God “from morning until evening” when she felt alone and abandoned, seeking out God’s help when she called rather than trying to do it on her own to “turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.”

I used to think that “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find” meant that if I wanted some “thing,” all I had to do was ask God and He would deliver.  I have learned that God does answer my knock, but oftentimes not in ways that I expected or wanted, but rather in ways I needed but didn’t see the beauty in His “answer” until much later.  I’ve also come to understand that Jesus is talking about something greater and deeper than just seeking “things”—He is asking us to seek God Himself.  Jesus is telling us to go out and actively seek Him in all things and circumstances.  When we open our eyes and look for Him, He gives us the strength and peace we need in all circumstances, good or bad.  Seeking Him allows us to see the divine within others who might be mean or hurtful to us.  Seeking Him allows us to find the compassion and kindness that are needed in difficult situations.  Seeking Him allows us to find the strength we need to overcome challenges in our lives.  When we truly seek God throughout the day, we will find Him in all things.

 Prayer

Loving God, may we turn to You like children seeking out a parent and find You in all things.

Anna Lester, ’98, M’12, Assistant Director of Edmundite Campus Ministry

 

Scripture

First Reading: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Psalm 138:1-3, 7c-8
Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website