Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

One of the hardest things to do in our current day is make time and space for silence. There is so much going on around us in work, family, and normal everyday duties that it can seem impossible to really slow down and listen. Yet that is the way God speaks to us. For any relationship to be successful, we must spend time with the other person. God desires to share His very self with us.

As we hear in the Gospel, the words of Jesus are powerful and able to heal us. He is the Word made flesh, the bodily incarnation of God. Instead of a booming voice coming from a fiery mountain like the Israelites heard, we hear the voice of the Son of Man. If we wish to receive His healing, we must first receive His voice. “He is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.” Let us listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd and so enter into the rest that He offers.

What is one activity I can give up this week to make more time for silence?

How can I encourage my family to spend time listening to the voice of God?

When I hear God’s voice, do I follow through and obey?