We all desire peace in our soul, a peace that keeps us from being anxious about the many things that go on in our lives.
While there can be numerous sources of unrest in a person's soul, one of the biggest obstacles is a heart closed off from God.
This refers to a heart that is not open and receptive to God's voice.
Open wide your heart
St. Ambrose wrote about this topic in an exposition of Psalm 118 that is featured in the Office of Readings. He begins be explaining how important it is to have an open heart:
My Father and I will come and make our home with him. Let your door stand open to receive him, unlock your soul to him, offer him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light that shines on every man. This true light shines on all, but if anyone closes his window he will deprive himself of eternal light. If you shut the door of your mind, you shut out Christ. Though he can enter, he does not want to force his way in rudely, or compel us to admit him against our will.
Its important to realize that God will not force his way into our lives. He waits patiently for us to respond to his invitation.
He is not going to be a tyrant or send a military blitz into our heart. Instead, he is going to wait for us to be open to receive his message.
The trick is that an open heart is not equal to the number of rosaries we pray in a day. It requires a disposition of openness and receptivity.
We could attend Mass every day for our entire lives and still be closed off from God.
St. Ambrose urges us to open wide the doors of our heart:
Our soul has a door; it has gates. Lift up you heads, O gates, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter. If you open the gates of your faith, the King of glory will enter your house in the triumphal procession in honor of his passion. Holiness too has its gates. We read in Scripture what the Lord Jesus said through his prophet: Open for me the gates of holiness.
It's not easy being open to God, as it requires trust in his merciful plan for us. We may not know where he will lead us, but we need to trust that it will be for our good.
