Don’t forget to listen

Question: Why should 70-plus-year-old people use valet parking?

Answer: Because they often forget where they parked their car.

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In today’s Gospel (Mark 9:2-10), Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain where He was transfigured before their very eyes. Jesus gave them a memorable religious experience so that they will never forget the reality of God’s presence, power, and love. Today, remember a moment, or moments when God manifested Himself to you in a very personal way. May it be a renewing experience for you.—————-

My first significant and life-changing religious experience happened during my Novitiate in the context of a prayer meeting where I felt the Lord embracing me and loving me unconditionally as a Father. It was such a joyful, liberating, and assuring moment that made me realize, accept, and remember the reality of God’s tremendous love.

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A religious experience is a gift at the “mountain top” that we bring with us when we go back to the dark valleys in our journey. The Lord will remind us again and again, of our “one moment in time” with Him, and at opportune times, He will reveal Himself to us, again and again so that we do not lose our way.—————-

Transfiguration moments happen wherever and whenever God manifests Himself to us, be it in silence, in ecstasy, or in sickness, suffering, pain, separation, or deprivations. God speaks to us always and in all ways. Let us listen to Him.

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How do we listen?

Lower your noise. You cannot listen if you are not silent. Being silent makes us mindful of the presence of God and other people in our lives. All too often, our noise and chatter are all about I, me, and myself.

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Increase God’s voice. God speaks to us always and in all ways, but we cannot hear Him because we do not, or we care not to listen to Him. The call of nature and the call of earthly treasures is often stronger than the call of the Master. Like Samuel we pray: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (Samuel 3:9-10)

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Search your heart. Take time to focus not only on the works, the tasks, the achievements of your hands, but also on the love in your heart. Are you a better person, are you closer to God now than you were a year ago? What are you doing for the rest of your life? Like the Psalmist, we pray: “Lord, You search me and You know me, all my thoughts lie open to Your gaze …” (Psalm 139)

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Tame your pride. When you come before God like a child, you begin to realize that there is a God, and you’re not Him. When you lower your pride, you can see the beauty in you, deep inside and the people around you outside. When you come before your Master as a servant, you report for duty, you take orders from Someone greater than you.

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Ease your mind. When you lay down your sword before the Lord, you can hear Him say to you: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

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Neutralize your issues. When you listen to God, you realize that He is the great Healer, the great Provider, who shows the way, and who makes the way, for He Himself is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

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Remember, it pays to listen to the Lord. Take time to listen to the Lord. “If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.” (Hebrews 3:15)

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A moment with the Lord.

Lord, help us to truly listen to You always and in all ways. Amen.

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