In order for God to do wonders in our lives we need to step aside, listen to his direction and act accordingly. Take this time to listen to what God is saying to you at this moment.
“Quiet! Be still!” Jesus says in this week’s Gospel. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Contemplation is often forgotten when it comes to praying. When praying, we often want to recite the prayers we know and spill out our hearts, but let’s not forget the importance of doing nothing but listening. We can hear God best when we strip away all the distractions in our lives, including our own thoughts and words.
As Christ demonstrates in his parables in this passage, the kingdom of God is already within us waiting to grow. When we take a leap of faith, God fills our lives with his grace and amazing things start to happen. That leap of faith starts by listening to what God is now revealing to our hearts. Take a moment to contemplate what he is saying to you now.
This Gospel passage really is about trust. How do we trust that we are not being misled by God? Listen to his words. He is not trying to deceive us. He appeals to our reason and invites us to see the logic in his power himself. He casts away evil, and yet—I admit—even as he does so I question his intentions. I question everything, but if this questioning leads to doubting God’s providence then it’s only going to lead to further division. The devil is all about dividing us, but God wants all believers to be one just as he, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one. If we listen to his message of truth, we will see that it will lead us to all other truths we seek and then all believers will be united in that truth.
Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist in complete silence. He expects us to do the same when we come to him. We’ve contemplated his Word. We’ve given him thanks and asked for forgiveness. Now listen to what he has to say today.
You’ve probably heard the proverbial line, “Preach the gospel always. When necessary, use words.” As we contemplate this week’s Gospel reading, let’s remember how other people will see us as Christian witnesses through our words, deeds, and our ability to listen. All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus. Take a moment to realize that he is in control, and we just need to follow him.
As I write this I sit outside and I hear crickets in the woods. Sometimes they’re used as a synonym for silence; and that’s appropriate because in the silence we can more easily hear God, and even the crickets testify to his truth as they sing of the fact that he gave us a world teeming with life. No matter where we turn, we cannot escape him. We can only hide enough to not see him, but even then he still sees us. Don’t be afraid to reveal your heart to him. He already knows you better than you know yourself, and he wants to reveal a deeper truth to you if you would just listen in the quiet.
Take a moment to rest in God’s word, in Christ’s words. He is the truth, and his messages are efficacious. The saints knew that they don’t have to do anything to receive God’s love except be open to it. That is what it means to contemplate. God’s grace is enough.
The words “I love you” would fall flat if they came from someone who did not show it with their actions. Similarly, God shows his love through his actions in everything around us. All we need to do is be silent and take it in, and we will receive the grace we need to love as he loves, and thereby follow his commandment to love without expecting anything in return.
