Listen

Did you hear all that?

Our readings today were all about listening.

Listening and being changed and then acting.

Saul was an up-and-coming Pharisee.

Progressing beyond many of his contemporaries.

A zealot persecuting the Christians.

Until he heard that voice of God, calling him to change.

His message was delivered far more dramatically than most.

God spoke aloud, knocked him to the ground, and struck him blind.

And Paul listened, and turned 180 degrees.

He went into the desert for three more years of listening and instruction.

Our Psalm response repeatedly prayed that God would speak to us.

And that we would listen, hear and follow.

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak.

She was already listening.

She didn’t have to change in that regard.

She had already chosen the better part.

But Martha—she did need to hear Jesus’ direct call to change.

A call to recognize how important it is to make time to listen.

The saint we honor today, St Francis of Assisi, was also a good listener.

And faithful in changing and acting on what he heard.

As a wealthy young man, he enjoyed partying

And the finer material things of life.

But in his early twenties he was stricken with a fever.

And began to hear messages in his dreams.

Messages calling him to change, to follow Christ.

He followed that call to a spiritual life; a life of total poverty.

At different times he lived in seclusion and in community.

He labored along side the poor, he gave away all he owned.
And he begged.

He founded three religious orders.

He moved about, repairing and living in churches, or in caves or huts.

He traveled as a missionary.

He constantly listened for God’s guidance.

And did his best to follow wherever it led.

Adjusting his course whenever necessary to better serve God.

Each of us should step back every now and then and ask ourselves:

Am I really listening?

Is God calling me to change something, to take some action?

We may not physically hear and see Jesus like Mary and Martha did.

We probably don’t even want an encounter like Paul’s.

But surely we will have dreams or hear that inner voice like Francis did.

The messages will be there for us, if we listen carefully.

And as our Gospel acclamation affirmed today:

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

Tuesday, 27th Week of Ordinary Time

Lk 10:38-42   Read this Scripture @usccb.org