The Art of Listening to God's Voice

Homily for Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent

At first, it may seem that there is little to connect the reading from the Prophet Jeremiah with the story that we hear from the Gospel of St. Luke. If we consider the responsorial psalm that is used today, we will find the connection. Psalm ninety-five is one of the Psalms that appears most often both in the Lectionary for Daily and Sunday Mass as well as in the Liturgy of the Hours where it is used as the opening prayer each and every day. “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.”

The admonition to listen to God’s voice, to hear God’s word, is one of the most important admonitions in the entire Bible. The church places great importance on God’s Word. That importance was stated clearly in the Dogmatic Constitution, “Verbum Dei,” from the Second Vatican Council. Even if we did not have this Dogmatic Constitution, the Scriptures themselves attest to their usefulness in St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Ordinarily we would not look for corroboration from that which we are judging. However, as St. Paul correctly states: “All Scripture is inspired by God.” Consequently, the corroboration comes to us from God.

Hearing God’s voice is an essential part of any spiritual life. However, we are surrounded by other voices constantly trying to lure us away from God’s voice. That is why it is so essential that we set apart some time in each day to enter into the silence that is necessary to hear God’s voice. As the Prophet Elijah reminds us, God’s voice is like a whispering breeze. Concentration on God means setting aside all other distractions.

While the people did not listen to Jeremiah or Jesus, their indifference reminds us of the importance of our own listening. I fear that we have grown very skilled at finding excuses for not setting apart the time necessary for attentive listening. Once again, our Lenten journey reminds us of the importance of prayer during this sacred time that is given to us by the Church. As Jesus told his disciples, go to your room and pray in secret so that we can be receptive to God’s Word.