LISTEN: "In Common So We Can Listen" (Together)

We are in this series called Listen - a journey to better hear God’s voice. Before beginning consider listening to the Message from this Lord's Day. and then reading the further reflections below. Each week will also offer a small follow up which you can consider doing - something short - about 15 minutes per day.

It is the most amazing thing -  God - the creator of the universe is personal (we can know Him). He wants to communicate with us in ways that thrill our hearts and bring us peace & surety of purpose

• in critical moments we can get the guidance that we need.

• in decision moments He teaches us so that we have insights and leads us so that we know the path away from trouble.

• in affirming moments He reminds us “I am here”.

When we hear God’s voice it is a life changing experience - remember Moses - his very face changed. God is always there but sometimes we are moving so quickly that we miss the moment.

So far we have we learned two of the three things we need in order to listen

• TIME - to designate time (each day) and a place so that we can listen to God speak.
• TEXT - that God is texting us each day with His word - God is messaging us - do you know it, are we reading it, to do we “take time with the text”.

This week all we have been talking about is affirmed as in the Gospel. St Mark reminds us that Jesus says “come away to a deserted place” for without such we are “like sheep without a Shepherd” - we are LOST. His word leads us to the final step in listening to His voice in the midst of all the world’s voices. That is to do it Together. For it is together that we can listen to God in community and here we are better able to hear Him. God does this in three distinct ways

First He speaks to us in COMMUNION.  Second He speaks to us in COMMON. Third, He speaks to us in COMPASSION. He heals, He provides, He directs, He determines and calls us to listen with the Text, the Time and Together.

Let’s discuss this as a family:

1. Describe the last time you “rested” with God.

2. Was the experience hectic because of the tasks at hand or was it peaceful? Why?

3. Who are the shepherds in your life? Who do you listen to? Where are they leading you?

LISTEN "Stillness for Listening" (Time)

Over the remaining two weekends we are embarked upon a small Summer Series called “Listen”. Every day, the world promises to meet our needs, flooding us with messages and even telling us how to live and pack for this journey of life.  But with so much noise in the world, how can we really hear anything? We’ll begin to distinguish the world’s voice from God’s so we can find out what it is we truly need. Together we will explore and I am going to suggest that the Lord is inviting us to “pack and prepare” as we “listen to His ways and seek to comprehend His voice”. Over next three weeks I would like to use the Sunday scriptures to say THREE THINGS we should pack in order to better listen.

Before beginning consider listening to the Message from this Lord's Day. and then reading the further reflections below. Each week will also offer a small follow up which you can consider doing - something short - about 15 minutes per day.

Jesus said - “my sheep they listen to my voice and follow me” (John 10:27). I think all of us would agree that following Jesus and doing His will for our life is the goal of each Disciple of Jesus. Last week we embarked upon a small Summer Series called “Listen”: with so much noise in the world, how can we really hear anything?  Last week we learned we need the Text to Listen. This week the Time to Listen.

We look around our world today and we may think everything is falling apart. War, death, despair is everywhere. We human beings have declared all these things, not God. As we hear in the Responsorial Psalm, God declares Peace.

The Gospel today seems clear enough, yet there are many subtle messages. Jesus gave the disciples authority to speak and act in His name and at the same time told them to travel light—one tunic and a pair of sandals. No extra baggage charges for them! The point is we have a tendency to get caught up in our “things”, our possessions and we’re taught to be self-reliant. Our focus often becomes our “things” and they can get in the way of answering Christ’s call.

God speaks - He does not scream. He does not say - be loud,  and know that I am God, be busy, and know that I am God, be stressed, and know that I am God, be distracted and know that I am God, power up and know that I am God. He says - be still - quiet. For it is in that still stillness that we connect to God more than we admit.

If you think of it - in our daily lives - conversations that impact us, mold us, direct us are not usually happening in the loud clutter of a party but in the better conversation of when you slow down. I hope you have that in your life - A place, a time each day, where life is quiet. For if you are in a hurray all the time - you will not Hear His voice - it will be tough to listen

For me it’s the morning - I connect with God - I have a room in my home that I have changed into a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament present and there I begin my day - still - it is there that my direction for the day is given and where I have the energy to launch forth into my day - my stillness leads me to activity. It is there that I listen

Jesus sent His disciples out two by two. Why? Perhaps so they had someone else for support or perhaps to send us the message that we, too, need each other. Church is community and we all succeed together, not as solitary individuals. Thus the power of the Lord's Day and the stillness of gathering for Mass each week.

The message this week is: Take Time to for Stillness and Keep Listening. 

Let’s discuss this as a family:

1. How do you survive when “the waves are high” in your life or in the world around you? How are you finding time for stillness?

2. Explain the difficulty you face in balancing the world’s “Things” versus keeping focused on Jesus and his mission. How are you finding time for stillness?

Some points to remember and consider:

1. Take the time to pray. No matter how you pray or who you pray to, it can be difficult to find time for prayer during busy times. One way to deal with this is to make prayer part of your daily routine, such as praying as soon as you wake up in the morning, right before you go to sleep, or before every meal.

2. Find a good spot to pray. You will find that you can pray anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It may help to be in a place where the focus is on spirituality (such as a church or even an Adoration Chapel) or where the environment reminds you of your spiritual bond (like a natural setting, or a spot with a big view).

3. Know your purpose. Understand that prayer does not have to involve crafted, reflective silence. It does not have to ask, plead, question or thank; all it must do is appreciate.

There is no wrong time to pray. Many people pray during emotional times, like when they feel sad, scared, or happy. You can pray at any time of day, and as much or as little as you feel is sufficient for your spiritual life. Some people make it their goal to maintain a state of prayer all the time by remaining conscious of their spiritual connection throughout the day. 

LISTEN: "Packing for Listening" (Text)

Over the next three weekends we are going to embark upon a small Summer Series called “Listen”. Every day, the world promises to meet our needs, flooding us with messages and even telling us how to live and pack for this journey of life.  But with so much noise in the world, how can we really hear anything? We’ll begin to distinguish the world’s voice from God’s so we can find out what it is we truly need. Together we will explore and I am going to suggest that the Lord is inviting us to “pack and prepare” as we “listen to His ways and seek to comprehend His voice”.

Over next three weeks I would like to use the Sunday scriptures to say THREE THINGS we should pack in order to better listen.

Before beginning consider listening to the Message from this Lord's Day. and then reading the further reflections below. Each week will also offer a small follow up which you can consider doing - something short - about 15 minutes per day.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Familiarity breeds contempt”? It often seems like the better we know someone, the more critical we are of him or her. Who would have thought that when Jesus returned to His home town of Nazareth that His message would be rejected - much like a text message being refused or remaining unread.

People scoffed at Him wondering how the carpenter’s son could claim to be a prophet. They missed the message because of their preconceived notions of who He should be, not who He really was. This can happen even today in our lives when we replace Him, re define Him or re figure our need for Him in our lives. The people of Jesus' home town did that with the "Word Made Flesh", we do that sometimes with His word - scripture. 

We do so, as they did, because we can perceive the message as difficult. In reality however what is difficult is making decisions without Gods’ word - then living with the repercussions for years to come. Spending time with His word is actually easy - about 15 minutes a day in God’s word will help us know Him better. The second reason that people did not accept Jesus in His hometown  was because they were having trouble believing everything He said. Sometimes we don't read the Word because we don’t believe everything in bible. Guess I would ask this- do you instantly believe everything that you read-everything on the internet, in the newspaper, every report, - even every text?We read things all the time you don’t believe - yet we read - to decide if we can believe it! Yet God’s word has more truth, clarify and wisdom - then most of what we read each day.

All three readings today talk about preaching the Word of God but being rejected. From Ezekiel to Paul to Jesus himself, the people that knew them best rejected them and rejected God’s word. But all three stayed true to themselves and their mission. Isn’t that a lot like the lives we live? We’re trying to please everyone at the expense of giving up who we really are. We think others will accept us more if we become who they think we should be. 

As disciples of Christ we may experience the same rejection but we shouldn’t change who we are because of what others may think or say. Jesus’ message to those who rejected Him was basically, you are not my family but those who hear the Word of God and believe it are my family. Jesus knew who He was. He didn’t need someone else to affirm Him. He didn’t need to become something He was not to please others. He didn’t need to say anything other than the truth and that is what He’s telling us today - the text He is sending you!

Jesus knew who He was because He spend time in the Word! He listened to the Father in the Word and that helped Him handle it all. The first thing we must "pack" into our travels in this journey is God's word (time with Scripture). It is like a text message received, read and acted upon.  His message today is: WHO ARE YOU? Are you listening for the text? are you seeking to respond to it ? What you packing into your day? 

Here is the text message.....are you listening? will you respond?

RYBT  (Read Your Bible Today)

Choose one of the passages below for each day this coming week - what is His Message to you? Use the questions below daily and apply them to the scripture below.

• You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11
• But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24
• For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
• Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2
• "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
• Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
• Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5
• The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

1. As you reflect on the words above, who are you? Where is your heart? (Everyone answer this)

2. Have you ever been afraid to really be yourself and why?

3. How do others see you? How is God's word (His text) calling you to listen more?