The Voice of God

What does it sound like?  How does one know when it is God who is speaking?

It is important to hear the voice of God, especially during our times of struggles and pains.  We need a reassuring voice to comfort us. 

I remember having nightmares as a child.  This was particularly upsetting in the middle of the night while awaking in a dark and lonely room.  If I started to cry or scream my parents would come and comfort me with their consoling words.

This is what God does for us.  In the Gospel today Jesus the Shepherd says that His sheep "hear his voice".  This means that Christ is constantly speaking to us. 

The book of 1 Kings 19:11-12 says, "Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by.  There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a still small voice."

God does not necessarily speak to us in the power of thunder or earthquakes but rather in silence, with a "still small voice".  We hear His voice in the silence of our prayer and meditation.

Spend some time each day alone in a room (preferrably in a church before the tabernacle), and learn to listen to God.  When meditating, focus on not reacting to the negative thoughts that come to your mind, but rather be still and know that God loves you.  When your mind becomes clear through His grace, you will be able to hear Christ speaking silently in your heart, consoling you with the words you need to hear at that time. 

Doing the Impossible: Faith

If Christ can raise people from the dead and heal the paralyzed then He can do anything (as long as it is the will of His Father).

The question is do we really believe that this is possible, do we have faith?  The Bible defines faith this way: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).  In a world primarily dependent on the scientific method, where all facts must be tested and retested using observable, measurable evidence and empirical data, to claim that something as intangible as faith counts for both substance and evidence sounds ridiculous.  But that, at its core, is faith.

Through faith, the invisible becomes visible, the intangible becomes tangible.  Faith encompasses both this world and the next.  Through faith the reality of heaven becomes the reality on earth.  Faith thus enables us to share in the divine life of Christ.  In Hebrews 11 (and most places in the New Testament), faith is translated from the Greek word pistis, which can also be translated belief or assurance.  To have faith is to believe in God's omnipotence and trust Him.

What a way to live!  We should pray daily that Christ increase our faith so that we too may endure and overcome any pain or suffering in life.  Nothing is impossible with God.

Living with Physical and Emotional Pain

Philip baptized a eunuch in today's readings.  Baptism incorporates us into the the life and death of Christ (Romans 6:3-5).  This means Christians will not be immune from suffering and pain.   This video depicts the grace that has come to a young boy and his mother who both suffer tremendously (with different types of pain), yet seem to persevere through Baptismal faith.  It is a lesson to all who must live with physical and emotional hurt. 

Humility and Proclamation!

The Readings today speak of proclaiming the Good News and on being humble.  This reminds me of a video about a remarkable young boy, who despite enduring (rather heroically) a life of tremendous pain and suffering was able to humbly proclaim the love of God. 

Emptiness

There is a line from the movie "Tombstone" where Doc Holliday (played by Val Kilmer) says that the outlaw Ringo has such a hole within him that, "He can never kill enough or steal enough or inflict enough pain to ever fill it."  

Emptiness of the soul can be our biggest cause of suffering.  No matter how it develops within us (through personal loss, emotional pain, broken relationships, etc...) we can never seem to fill it on our own.  Some, like Ringo might even resort to drugs, alcohol, or violence to replace the void, but to no avail.

In the Gospel today Jesus speaks of filling us up with himself, the only one who can truly satisfy.  Through receiving him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus does exactly that.  

St. Augustine once said, "You have made us for yourself O God, and our hearts are ever restless until they rest in you." 

Augustine recognized that we are all born with an innate desire to return to God.  Our mission in life is to fully reunite with Him, until this happens we will never be truly happy.