The Lenten season is a special time to pray, to reflect and to listen. God speaks to us through the scriptures, the prophets and in the quietness of our minds. As we journey through Lent, we are called to listen carefully in order to discern God’s will for us. This kind of listening requires faith and the readiness to obey and to set aside the distractions of our noisy world. Pope Francis observes that Lent is a time of turning away from distractions, of listening more deeply to God’s voice, and of being transformed by His grace.
Listening Requires Faith
At the baptism of Jesus and at his transfiguration, God the father addressed him as his beloved son, to whom we must listen. As the incarnate Word of God, Jesus’ words and actions reveal the heart of the Father.
In today’s Gospel for instance, Jesus casts out a demon from a mute man, allowing the man to speak. The crowd’s reaction is mixed—some are amazed, others question his authority, and some even accuse him of using the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. This accusation is a sign of lack of faith as well as the failure to recognize him as the Son of God. What could be the cause of this closed heart? It could be that the Pharisees have become used to the word of God, that they are filled up with what they know already, so much so that there is no space for newness and growth.
Obedience is the Essence of Listening
Also, God’s words to Israel through Jeremiah are a stark reminder of the danger of spiritual complacency. The people had become accustomed to religious practices but had neglected the fundamental call to righteousness and justice. Their hearts were far from God, and they were more concerned with outward appearances than with true obedience to his will. Thus, God instructs the Prophet Jeremiah to tell them how important listening to and obeying his voice is for their existence. Hence, obedience is the natural outcome of true listening. St. Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologica (II-II, Q. 10, Art. 1) states: “Faith without obedience is not faith at all.”
The Importance of Listening
Listening to God’s word helps us to have faith, which then enables us to act in accordance with his will. Romans 10:14 asserts: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Listening enables us to live like true disciples. Listening is however an act of grace. Isaiah 40:4-5 states “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a disciple, so that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. Morning by morning, he awakens my ear to listen as a disciple.” Listening is not only the beginning of a new life but enables us to impact the lives of others.
The Lenten season is a time to reflect on how we are listening. Are we, like the crowd, resistant to Jesus’ voice? Are we too distracted, too skeptical, or too caught up in worldly concerns that it becomes difficult to hear what God is saying? May this Lenten Season grant us the grace to listen, so as to turn to God with our whole hearts.
