The Key to Knowledge

October 15, 2020 Thursday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor—Memorial

“Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”  Luke 11:52 In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to chastise the Pharisees and the scholars of the law.  In this passage above, He chastises them because they “have taken away the key of knowledge” and have actively tried to keep others from the knowledge God wants them to have.  This is a strong accusation and reveals that the Pharisees and scholars of the law were actively hurting the faith of God’s people. As we’ve seen over the past few days in the Scriptures, Jesus rebuked the scholars of the law and the Pharisees severely for this.  And His rebuke was not only for their sake, it is also for our sake so that we know not to follow false prophets such as these and all who are interested only in themselves and their reputation rather than the truth. This Gospel passage is not only a condemnation of this sin, more importantly it raises a deep and beautiful concept.  It’s the concept of “the key of knowledge.”  What is the key of knowledge?  The key of knowledge is faith, and faith can come only by listening to the voice of God.  The key to knowledge is to let God speak to you and to reveal to you His deepest and most beautiful truths.  These truths can only be received and believed through prayer and through direct communication with God.   The saints are the best examples of those who have penetrated the deep mysteries of God’s life.  Through their life of prayer and faith they came to know God on a profound level.  Many of these great saints have left us beautiful writings and a powerful witness of the hidden but revealed mysteries of the inner life of God. Reflect, today, upon whether or not you have taken the “key of knowledge” and opened the mysteries of God through your life of faith and prayer.  Recommit yourself to seeking God in your daily personal prayer and to seek all that He desires to reveal to you. Lord, help me to seek You through a life of daily prayer.  In that life of prayer, draw me into a deep relationship with You, revealing to me all that You are and all that life is about.  Jesus, I trust in You.