As we delve into the Scripture passages and prayers of the Liturgy of the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, being “open” is key.
Open in as the pathway for the transmission of God’s Word from heaven to earth, and back to God’s heaven again. Open as in the seed that is scattered from rough ground to rich, producing a harvest beyond rich or not. Open as in eyes open but really, really open to see & ears really, really “open” to hear.
A bodily manner of being open not mentioned is the hands. And, of course, of all the bodily parts on offer, hands that are open are the easiest to wrap our minds around. From hands open in simple gestures used to greet one another to hands open in the various postures required to cook a meal, to make a bed, to weed a garden, to nail a beam into place as a home is built & we use our hands both to receive and to give, to bless and to be blessed.
And with the simplest of differences, hands and water relate to each other differently. A hand of a swimmer is positioned differently from the hand of a diver. A hand holding a violin bow is held differently from a hand wielding a hammer. Hands scattering grass seed or fertilizer are held differently from hands scattering cheese and seasonings to make a pizza. Judging how strong or gentle to be is a challenge.
Judging how long or how quickly to expect to hear or see is a challenge. Judging what “open” will actually feel like in different circumstances is a challenge & worth accepting!