Before I get into this week's post, I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone that participated in my A Fly on the Wall Meme. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading everyone's choices. (A special thank you to Judy for not only answering, but giving her young daughters, Mary and Grace, permission to play along. It was very moving to see God working through them!)This Sunday I attended Mass about an hour from home.
The priest gave a very moving homily about how God speaks to us, using the three readings from today as examples (Isaiah in dreams, Paul in a vision, and Peter in a net of fish).
I've been thinking a lot about that topic lately. How do I know when God is talking to me? What does it sound like? What if I miss His message?
In any case, the priest made one point that really knocked me upside the head. He said the reason we have such a hard time hearing God these days is because we are so darn distracted.
We wake up and immediately turn on news. Or check the internet.
When we take a shower, we turn on the radio.
We listen to our iPods in the car.
We work all day.
We text, IM or Facebook every hour.
Any time leftover is probably spend on our cell phones. Or chasing kids.
How could we possibly hear Him when we don't spend any quiet time listening?
I chuckled to myself for a minute, a tad humiliated. Here I've been worried about understanding His message. But the truth is, I haven't spent enough time actually listening properly!
And so I move on, a bit smarter than I was yesterday, thanks to that priest.
Yes, sometimes God speaks to His people in dreams. Or visions. Or fish.
But sometimes, for those really stubborn people, He just leads them to a different Church for a week.
God Bless.
6 comments:
I am always amazed at how God never stops trying to get our attention. I know I sometimes need Him to smack me upside the head as well.
I heard about this on EWTN the other day, a woman had phoned in, asking how you can tell when God is speaking to you. The host of the show quoted a saint, I can't remember which one, who said that when God speaks, it is quiet and gentle, if it isn't God, it is loud, like a splash compared to a ripple.
I went to a different church this week too Michael. Our diocese was having the ADF drive which meant a taped speech from the archbishop at all our regular churches, so I went to the Air Force Base chapel and heard a real homily. The priest -- who I have known for years -- gave an extemporaneous talk which left me spellbound*. I asked him for a copy but he said it was "up here" pointing to his head and then up. To me, it was the Holy Spirit.
*I have to say his usual homilies aren't of the same calibre ... but then again, maybe I was just listening better!
How true...the listening part, I mean. We must be still..to know that he is GOD. Great post...
What a great and inspiring post Michael! It's so true. In our fast paced society we often find ourselves so busy running around that we don't take the time to know what God is truly trying to tell us. Great post!
Thanks for the comment. I like this post because lately God has been trying to tell me I am spending too much time on the computer. I get so distracted with this(blogging and other things email etc...) Then I just busy with things in my life. Things that I think are important.
God Bless,
Janice
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