
In the Bible, Jesus tries to share with us many ways to enter His Kingdom. In today’s Gospel, He tells his disciples again, seemingly frustrated, how to grow stronger in their faith: “Take care what you hear.” What are we hearing nowadays? What fills our thoughts and regulates the way we spend our days and live our lives? Does what we hear take us away from God or bring us closer?
I thought that “the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” meant that if I judge someone, I, too, will be judged the same way. Matthew explained it that way (see Mk 7) but Mark gives us a different understanding. Jesus was trying to say that if we listen to His voice and do what He asks of us, He will give us more – more wisdom, more knowledge, more graces, and more strength to continue to follow Him.
So, what fills your thoughts and actions every day? Are you taking the time to listen to the Lord? I can read my Bible daily, say my daily prayers, and attend daily Mass, but am I truly listening for His voice and responding or just going through the motions?
I recently heard a podcast about why Jesus was asleep in the boat during the storm while His disciples became frantic and couldn’t understand He was sleeping. They woke Him, and the storm immediately stopped. Did they not think to awaken Him when the storm first started? Perhaps Jesus stayed asleep because He was waiting for them to come to Him. Each of us is capable of listening to and doing the will of God. His wisdom is transformative, inspires hope and guides our actions. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”
As I was reflecting on this passage, I was taken aback. Do I ask for his help first? Our human instincts lead us to want to solve the problem ourselves. We feel satisfied in seeking the solution. We pridefully take ownership of the process and the outcome. But is that the narrow path that God wants us to take? It feels like we often take the Interstate, a six-lane highway that we know all too well.
The Lord is asking me to be a lamppost, to allow my faith to shine for all, not simply be a flashlight shining on my own face (which, quick frankly, is blinding). I have a little replica of a lamppost on my desk to remind me each day of my calling. Like you, I want to hear the Lord daily, walk the narrow path, and be His voice. Let’s wake Him up right now.
Daily Reading
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD….
Saint of the Day
Saint Onesimus
Saint Onesimus, a first-century slave, converted by St. Paul, later became a bishop and martyr, epitomizing redemption and faith.
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