Reflections from the Heart – January 28, 2024

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

Moses spoke to all the people, saying: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.” God is a good listener.  He is the best listener ever.  There is no one better at listening than God.  God is the greatest listener of them all.  When you speak to God, our Lord listens with great intention on listening to you.  He is not distracted rather he remains attentive to your every word.  Receiving all that you say without interrupting you or speaking like thunder over you or responding to you without letting you finish what you would like or have to say.  God is patient that way.  He will never put you on hold or multitask through your conversation whether you speak aloud or relate the conversation silently to yourself.  God will not say, I am sorry, can you repeat that, I wasn’t really listening to you.  God’s ears never grow tired from listening to your voice. Even if you think or say that God is tired of listening to you, he really isn’t tired, he is God and loves you and all his children. Although your words at times can be harsh, self-seeking, judgmental, prideful and boastful, God never tires listening to you because he loves the sound of your voice even if at times your voice sounds critical, selfish, self-absorbed, elevated and misdirected.  God still listens to you like no one else can, will or does.  God listens to your heart.  He listens to your heart through his heart, which is patient for you, present to you, available to you always, even when you are speaking or when you are sleeping.  However, we tend to talk rather than relate.  We speak rather than listen.  We tell rather than ask.  We mouth off rather than being still and silent and knowing that God is in our midst listening to our every word.  The words we mouth off and even those words we mouth off in violent thoughts in the conversation in our head.   God is still listening.  He is listening to you right now.  If God is such a great and gentle listener then why do you speak to him that way rather than pray the same way God listens?  With patience, intention, gentleness and affection.  If God is the only listener, then why don’t you speak to him more often and share with openness and honesty what is on your heart. God is listening. Say something nice.