A Reflection for Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Find today’s readings here.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Today, both the first reading and the responsorial psalm remind us to listen for God’s voice. We are told to obey his commands and to be his people, but the most important message is to be open to listening for God’s voice. With the often frenetic pace of modern society, we all too often don’t take the time to listen for God’s voice. Perhaps we expect it to be like in the movies, with a voice thundering from the clouds. We imagine that, like Saul, we will be knocked from our horse when God calls. God can certainly speak to us in such a dramatic way if he so chooses, but more often than not his voice can just be a whisper, an invitation that we get when we retreat from the noise of everyday life and quieten our hearts to listen and talk to God.
In January 2022, I was on what would be my final discernment retreat to decide whether I wanted to pursue a religious vocation. The restrictions of the pandemic had finally lifted, and I was in Houston, along with other candidates, discerning whether we were interested in becoming Jesuits. In my case, I felt a strong call to the Society, but the decision was still not an easy one. I already had a successful career and this meant giving up all that I had built over the last few years: I had a high paying job in a C-suite, I was well known and established in my community, and I had a nice home and a lot of possessions. It was a cold morning in January and I was out praying in the garden, deliberating on which road to take. Should I continue on the well established path I was on or take this drastic, new and unknown road? My heart was telling me that this is what I wanted to do, that I wanted to do more, to be of service, but my rational brain also told me that it was a foolish decision at this stage in my life. I had worked for all that I had; why would I want to give it all up?
As I sat there on the bench in that garden debating with myself, I suddenly heard another voice, a gentle whisper: “Come follow me and see.” That voice did not thunder; it was a gentle invitation, not a command. I knew that voice was not mine—I was both comforted and afraid—but I was also sure of the invitation and promise. If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart. I had my answer, I had my invitation, I followed God’s call.
God’s message is constant. He invites us to not be hard of heart, to follow his commands, to be the people that he calls us to be, to love each other as he loves us. In the first reading Jeremiah reminds us of all the prophets that God has sent with this message, in the gospel reading, Jesus himself tells us that the Kingdom of God has come upon us. Still, all too often we want the spectacle to believe and even when presented with the spectacle we still doubt like the crowds in the gospel; crowds demanding answers. Today the noise and demands are constant. We are inundated with it from the television, the computer, and of course the ever-present smartphone all of which emit an unending stream of information that often leaves us immobile, numb, unsure how to act, unsure where to find God, unable to hear his voice. But God is always there, waiting for us to listen, waiting for us in the quiet of prayer. And so whether it be the tranquility of a garden, the sanctity of a church or just the quietness of your bedroom, always find that time to step away from the noise. Find your quiet space. Notice God noticing you. Listen to your heart knowing that he already knows it. What is he inviting you to do?
