Lift Up the Gates of Understanding
Today's readings for Wednesday in the Octave of Easter are from Acts 3:1-10, Ps 105:1-9, Luke 24:13-35.

In today's reading from Acts of the Apostles we are given a very powerful metaphor in the healing of the crippled beggar. The man is sitting at the Beautiful Gate which leads into the Temple in Jerusalem, begging for alms. The fact that this story occurs after Christ has been raised from the dead is significant, because we now are able to see Christ as the true Temple. This Beautiful Gate, then, is that of which we read in Psalm 118, "Open to me the gates of holiness." This gate is the gate of faith, and it is upon entering through this gate that we receive the holiness of God through Christ Jesus. The beggar then is sitting at the gate, for he is searching for God and his heart longs for God, and yet he remains crippled because he is not yet able to find Him. He sees Peter and John entering into the gate, for they already know Jesus as the Way, and by faith they worship in the true Temple of Christ. This beggar is able to recognize in them what he wants, and they, having exactly what he needs to truly see God as his heart desires, can and do give it to him. This is why Peter says, "Look at us. I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk." Peter gives the beggar his faith in Christ Jesus, and by that faith the beggar is able to finally enter into the Temple of the LORD.

As he enters by faith, though his understanding is still limited, his heart cannot help but rejoice at the true healing he has received, for now he is able to walk with the LORD in the way he has always longed. Because his heart had truly been searching, he was able to instantly recognize what Peter had given him, and so we read that he immediately "leaped up, stood, walked around, and went into the temple with them." His heart was overjoyed, and so he was seen "walking and jumping and praising God." He was actually jumping, as the exuberance of his newfound faith could not be contained. It was he who could sing with the psalmist, "Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name," because Peter made "known among the nations his deeds." It was the beggar who could exalt with the psalmist, "Sing to him, sing his praise," because it was Peter who "proclaimed all his wondrous deeds." The psalmist speaks to all the beggars of faith who are searching for the truth of God when he sings, "Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD! Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly."

Those of us who have been blessed with faith, who have seen the wonders of the LORD, who have had His glory revealed in our own lives and have been given the gift to see His glory revealed in Sacred Scripture, we are called to be like Peter and give to all everything that we have. We must live our lives as women and men set free in Christ, and we must be willing at all times to share this faith which has redeemed us and sanctified us and made us well, this faith which has given rest to our restless hearts. We have stood at the Beautiful Gate, and have understood the magnificent words of the gate liturgy from Psalm 24, "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in." We have cleansed our hands and purified our hearts so that we may ascend the hill of the LORD and stand in his holy place. By searching for God with a pure heart, intent only on knowing Him, we are able to enter through this Beautiful Gate, where we "receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of our salvation." And so the great commission given by Christ is nothing else than to show all people the way to enter into this Gate, that they may know God as He has made Himself known to us.

One question must be asked, though, and that is how are we to know this Christ, and how are we to show others the way to Him? Certainly the way we live our lives is a powerful indication of the peace and freedom we have received, but there must be some substance to this revelation. St. Peter exhorts us to, "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you" (1 Pet 3:15). The hope within us is Christ, but what sort of explanation are we to give? The answer is found in today's Gospel, where St. Luke recounts the story of Jesus meeting the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They are still searching for the truth about God, though because they have followed Christ and have heard from the women that He has been raised, they were growing closer to knowing God as He truly is. But their understanding still remained incomplete. Their faith was not perfected until Christ walked with them and opened up for them the meaning of Sacred Scripture. We read, "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted what referred to him in all the Scriptures." The experience they had with Christ was truly profound, but it was not enough to perfect their understanding until they were able to enter into the Sacred Scriptures, and see how all the Scriptures point to Christ. So it is for each of us. We all have heard of Christ and perhaps in some ways have experienced Christ, but our understanding will always remain imperfect until we are able to enter into the Sacred Scriptures and see how all things point to Christ. And so it is so important that in our journey for a more intimate relationship with and knowledge of God that we continue to pray with the Sacred Scripture, to seek guidance through them, and to beseech the Holy Spirit to lift up the gates of understanding for us, so that through Scriptures the King of glory may enter into our hearts in new and profound ways. Then we will be truly equipped not only to know God at the most intimate level, but also to bring others to Him in truth.

Peace in Christ,
Michael