Hear My Voice
I was thinking about hearing the voice of God. Do I really hear Him? Do I really listen to Him?
Growing up I remember the voice of my mother. I do not ever remember her yelling. She would raise her voice loud enough to be heard, but she would not be louder than the commotion that was happening around her. I knew the sound of her voice even amidst loud noises. I remember she had different ways of saying my name. The way she said my name gave me an indication of what we would be talking about.
I have listened to many young people as they plan their marriages. They have special ways of saying their names. They have special ways of talking to each other that mean something an outsider would not understand. There are many ways to communicate nonverbally.
I have also had the honor of blessing many marriages that are celebrating forty or fifty years of marriage. They often do not say anything but just look at each other and you know they are communicating in their own private way. Seldom do they need to say words. And if one does start to say something the other person finishes the sentence for them.
God speaks to each of us every day. Whether we hear Him or not is our choice. We can choose not to listen. When we do this, we discover eventually God’s voice will break down our barriers. He will open our hears.
But if we do listen to God’s voice, we find Him speaking to us all the time. His Grace is always covering us wherever we are, whatever we are doing, whatever we are thinking. He is making Himself known to you. What is He asking? He is asking for you.
Each of us is called to God in a very special way, unique only to you. We often speak of vocations, the need for more priests and religious, and this is all good. But we also need women and men willing to answer God’s invitation to the vocation of marriage.
Marriage is a vocation. Without the vocation of marriage, we would not have priest or religious vocations. That is why it is so important that each of us listen for the voice of God in all that we do. That we keep God first in our lives so when that small whispering sound enters our ear, we will hear Him. Through prayer and reading the Bible, we will know the Shepherd’s voice.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen