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The king who loves to collect paintings announced for a heart painting competition. A lot of artists joined and submitted their works. The king's assistants chose the works that are worth showing to the king and set aside the rest. While the king was viewing all the chosen paintings placed in a big room in the palace, he heard one of the artists arguing with the assistant demanding for an explanation why his entry was not chosen. Intrigued, he asked his assistant to bring the artist and his work. The king was disappointed upon seeing the painting. It was never close to the theme he set. It was a painting of a rectangle.

The king said, "Is this the painting you said should be chosen? I do not see anything great about it. It is just a colourful drawing of an insignificant rectangle. " The artist replies, "This is no simple figure of a rectangle, my king. It s a painting of a door. If you will look at it properly, there is no knob to open it. It is the door to one's heart. It could be opened but only from the inside and only for those who you wish to open your heart to."

This was the theme of the priest's homily yesterday at the mass at Don Bosco Canlubang (Philippines). It is but true that no one can enter and be a part of our lives unless we allow them to. It is our choice whether or not to help a needy knocking for help, assist a friend seeking assistance, or for a person to be loved by us, an enemy to be hated by us - this is our heart, a human heart.

After listening to this homily, I asked myself, how would one paint God's heart? Would it be a door with a knob from the outside? Would it be a door wide opened? Or probably a doorless entry, even with a big WELCOME sign in front? God has opened His heart for everyone to come in. He has helped the needy, loved those who loved Him and even those who persecuted Him. Have we opened our knob-less heart from the inside to let our selves out and try to come inside God's heart?