Dear fellow parishioners, Someone at, “Coffee and…” began a conversation with me stating, “I have no clue how to listen to God, and certainly have no idea how the Holy Spirit thing works!” Needless to say, we had a lively exchange. Sometimes we make things more complicated than we need to. First, we forget that God speaks to us through the scriptures, the Bible that we read every time we gather for Mass. After each of the readings we say, “The Word of the Lord!” After the Gospel, “The Gospel of the Lord!” That is why I encourage everyone to read the Mass readings before we gather so that we can absorb what God is saying to us. Make sure you have your own Bible and don’t be afraid to mark it up as you strive to apply things to your own life. Second, to listen to God speak, we need to be quiet. Often times we have the radio on in the car, the TV on at home, and our technology in hand. It is difficult to listen when we are unable to be quiet. Lent may be a good time to take a break from all the sounds that we surround ourselves with.
Third, we can start listening to God speak to our hearts by listening to our bodies. We are often so busy doing that we forget “being.” God created us as a human being, but we are often a human doing. By keeping so active we fail to allow God to speak to us. What is happening inside is so very important, are we at peace, are we angry, are we tired? Being aware of our soul is essential to being in the presence of God.
Forth, recognize that God speaks to us through all of creation and all creatures. Be open to the ways God speaks to you as you journey through each and every day. Sometimes God speaks through the very people we sometimes tune out! The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, where He fasted and prayed for 40 days. Make the time to journey with the Word of God this Lenten season and together we listen as a community of faith!