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Listening deeply to hear God's voice in others | Synod on Synodality

Julian Paparella

Friday, October 18, 2024

Photo by Askar Abayev on Pexels
Where do you hear God’s voice in your life? Maybe we expect God to speak to us in holy places – in chapels and shrines, at Mass or in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, on retreat or pilgrimage. All of these are wonderful places to hear God’s voice speaking deeply to our hearts. Of course, God speaks to us when we pray with his Word, opening our minds and our hearts to encounter him in Sacred Scripture, in the prophets of the Old Testament, in the words of the psalms, in the parables of the Gospel or the letters of the apostles.
These are all key places where God is waiting for us: waiting to encounter us and to speak to our hearts. Yet God does not limit himself to speaking in those places that we can easily identify as being religious or spiritual. God also speaks to us in the events of the world, through the experiences of our lives, and indeed in what other people say to us.
This doesn’t mean that anything that anyone says is Gospel truth. Far from it! Rather, it is a call to be attentive, together, to what God wants to say to us through one another. By taking the time to listen deeply to each other, opening the ears of our hearts to receive what the other person has to say, we can be attentive to what resonates and strikes a chord deep within.
Sometimes we barely listen to what other people are saying. We’re just waiting for them to finish, so that we can say what’s next in mind. But this is not how God listens to us. God has no need to listen to anyone. Yet he listens patiently, lovingly, attentively. He cares about what we have to say. God sets us the best example of how to listen.
By being attentive to the needs of others we can perceive God’s promptings tugging at our hearts. In the silent or spoken cries of our neighbour, we can discern a call to action, to be close and compassionate in the face of the struggles of those around us.
What is God saying to you through the people in your life? Be it a spouse, or your children, an elderly relative, a colleague, or friend. We are enriched when we take the time to listen to what people are experiencing. It makes them feel loved, appreciated, and respected. It also helps us to find common ground, make decisions together, and live in a spirit of caring for one another.
This is true in our families, workplaces, and Church communities. What is the quality of our listening? Are there people whose voices get left out or pushed to the sidelines? How do we deal with disagreements, when people express views that we oppose? The point is not to reach some false or superficial consensus, but rather to realize that God can speak through any one of us to say something that’s important for all of us.
Lord, help us to listen to one another, and together to hear Your voice speaking in our midst. May we have your humility to listen with patience, care, and compassion. Teach us not exclude anyone, and help us to learn from those whose voices often go unheard. Amen.


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