Finding The Key

20 Dec

“We lose keys and we find keys and we get new keys. We just have to find the ones that unlock the right doors. Sometimes, we have keys, but we don’t know what door they fit. That can be the hardest part, putting the right key in the right door.”  ~ Dan Groat

When I worked at the state prison, key control was a crucial concern, as you can imagine.  God help the staff member who accidentally left keys unattended.  That would be a cause for immediate disciplinary action because the keys in the wrong hands could mean big trouble, maybe even escape.

Keys are very important things.  We all live by keys.  There was a day, not so long ago, when that was not the case.  Homes were left unlocked and people were much more free to come and go as they please.  Because the world appeared to have changed so radically, everything began to be locked up, including our homes.  For me, that happened when I was in junior high school.  My parents joined the many others on our block who decided that, for safety’s concern, we would begin to lock the house.  We made provisions for keep a key “hidden” so that, if we ever came home and mom was not there, we would be able to get in the house.

We call Jesus the Key of David, today’s “O Antiphon”.  He is the one who unlocks the door of death by His own death and resurrection.  He, the Key, also entrusted the keys of the Kingdom to Peter as He established His Church.  We have been given a means to return home to our heavenly Father and we need to do all that we can do to find the way and remain on the path.

However, we have other keys in our lives as well.  I have got twenty-three keys on my key ring.  Eight or nine of them are used on a regular, if not daily, basis.  The other keys are used occasionally, at least once a week.  They take up a lot of space and wear holes in my pockets.  Sometimes, they distract as well.  They make me think of other things that I need to do and other responsibilities that I have.

If there are too many keys in our lives, too much clutter — emotional, material, or spiritual — we can be distracted from our true goal.  We need to do all that we can to keep our minds and hearts focused and to remain true to our God.

FAITH ACTION:  Try to rid yourself of the clutter in your life so that you may focus better on your final days of preparation for Christmas.