If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. In John Chapter 10, Jesus tells his disciples, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). As I was meditating upon this weekend’s readings, I was first struck by the Responsorial Psalm. As I sat with the Lord and asked him why he highlighted this partic- ular passage for my prayer, a theme began to appear, the theme of reliance. I soon found the same theme in all of today’s readings though in different ways. We are lost unless we listen to the voice of the shepherd, whose delight it is to lead us to the green pastures of eternal life.
A great cause of suffering for people in the Church, and in society in general is that they do not believe that God speaks to them. I feel there is an orphan spirit that has taken hold of many people. If Jesus promises us that we are the sheep of his flock (c.f. Psalm 100) and that his sheep hear his voice (c.f. John 10), then how can we believe the lie of the evil one that we cannot hear the voice of God? Broth- ers and sisters, we must reject and renounce this lie from the pit of hell that many of us have come to believe.
So now the question may arise, how do I hear the voice of God? What does his voice sound like? We will start with the via negativa, by acknowledging what his voice doesn’t sound like. Do you hear the voice of accusation, condemnation, and discouragement? Satan is known as the accuser. He sows seeds of discord and discourage- ment. This is not the voice of God; so, reject it when you hear his whisperings. Now that we know which voice belongs to the evil one. We are left with two others. One belongs to God and the other one belongs to me. You know your own voice. How do you normally speak to yourself? Are you kind and forgiving to yourself? Or are you stern and uncompromising? Being aware of how you treat your- self will help you to recognize which voice belongs to you.
So now, we are at the crux of the matter. How do I know which voice belongs to God? God speaks to us through his Word. So, if my thinking lines up with his Revelation, I am hearing the voice of the Lord. God speaks to me through the priest (who acts in the person of Christ the head). God speaks to me through the daily circumstances of my life and he speaks to me through other people, if I have ears to hear. Finally, God speaks to me through my thoughts, feelings, and desires as long as these thoughts, feelings, and desires are not accusatory and discouraging. Jesus tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Being aware of the movements of our hearts will help us be more attentive to what God is saying in our lives.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. I hear his voice because I am in relationship with him. I am utterly reliant upon him for my every need. We hear the opposite of this sentiment in the gospel reading. The rich man is pleased at his self-reliance; that he has stored up more than he needs. He says to himself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, and be merry!” In other words, you don’t need anybody, especially not God to see to your needs. Yet, in the Our Father, Jesus shows us the proper disposition in our relation to the Father. We pray, ”Give us this day our daily bread.” Again, this posture towards God is reliance not independence.
While sojourning in the desert for forty years, the Israelites were commanded to collect manna and quail for the day’s need. If they kept it overnight (except before the Sabbath) it would rot. What was God trying to teach them? Reliance and trust in him to provide for their every need. This trust in him to provide should bring us peace. We hear in the first reading, “For what profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest.” We contrast this to Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus desires to give you rest. He desires to give you peace. He desires to give you joy. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Seminarian Benjamin Reinhart