September 6, 2005
Closets
One of the measures of the age of a house has come to be the number of its closets and, as well, if the realtors are to be believed, its value. The more, the larger, the better.
For most of us, closets are where stuff goes to keep it handy and out of sight. For some of us, that’s where it ends. But for others, there are adaptable shelves and hanging rods for closets to shape them into some sort of order. It is thought that neat closets measure not just age or value but also the state of one’s psyche.
Jesus seems to have thought well of closets as a place to pray. That there’s not enough room in any of mine even for the liturgy would probably not impress him. He might just shrug his shoulders and say that it was merely a suggestion.
On the other hand, prayer is a handy way to discover one’s identity, and in the closet is as good a place as any. Those who find it, also seem to discover that it’s altogether refreshing when they come out.