Listen to Him

Second Sunday of Lent

"Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;  from the cloud came a voice, 'This is my beloved Son.  Listen to him.' ” (Mark 9:8)

Reflection

“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”  In all of the New Testament, we only hear the voice of God the Father twice.  First at the Baptism of Jesus, his voice speaks directly from the sky and identifies Jesus as his beloved Son.  And here at the Transfiguration, God speaks right from the cloud and says to us … Listen to Him.  This direct quote is meant for us, pay close attention to Jesus with ears and heart.  

 

And during this season of Lent, because we are sinners, hard of hearing, hardened of heart, and stubborn of will.  It is imperative that we not just hear Jesus, but listen.  And Listen again.  So that we can clearly know where he wants us to go and why. 

 

A friend of mine is in advertising, and he tells me that a consumer needs to hear an ad on TV or radio six times before the consumer is moved to action.  We never see any commercial just once.  How about those ads which repeat the phone number 4 or 5 times.  They figure if you hear it over and over, you might just call.

 

Yes, advertisers can move us to act, but how much more happy and blessed would life be if we really listened to Jesus and let him move us as well.  Only if we listen.  And listen again.

 

On my 30 day retreat, making the Spiritual Exercises, my director would ask me to read a Scripture passage much like this one about the Transfiguration.  We would talk about my prayer, but then he would ask me to repeat the reading again, and again on the third day.  I found that each reading brought me to a deeper level.  Listening again, I could hear what God wanted to say to me, and what I was to do next, once the retreat was over and I walked down from the mountain. 

 

Every story in the Bible, every passage, is God’s way of saying to you “I love you more than you can imagine.  I forgive you more times than you can count.   And I send you now to put that love and mercy into action." 

 

Lent is about fasting, almsgiving and prayer.  And wouldn’t you agree that listening is one of the most basic forms of prayer.  Be good at listening, and be good at loving.  During this second week of Lent, open the text, open your eyes, open your ears and listen.  And then move ahead with the heart.