Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Every morning before I get out of bed I pray, “Lord help me do your will today.” To be a disciple we are called to think, talk and act like Jesus, and yet how do we know what is God’s will for us in our daily lives? In today’s scripture, we are told that God will speak to us and show us the way. How can we hear God’s voice in the midst of busy days, and when we hear that a voice speaking, how do we know that it is God speaking?
In today’s first reading, Isaiah shares the good news about God and all that God will provide. God will no longer hide himself, but “with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher.” And a voice will say,” This is the way; walk in it.” God showers his people not only with food and drink, but with mercy and healing for all of their wounds.
In the gospel, Jesus becomes the fulfillment of these promises. Jesus travels around bringing healing and mercy to the crowds. He recognizes that the need is great, so he gathers His disciples to send them forth to continue His ministry. Jesus speaks to His followers and tells them, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and drive out demons.” The apostles see the Teacher, and Jesus directs their paths. Through their ministry they continue to share God’s love and grace and help build the kingdom
Where can we see Jesus and how can we hear His voice? Christ is present in the scripture, in the sacraments, and in the world around us. Although we may not see Jesus as the apostles did over 2000 years ago, He is visible to us if we open our eyes and our heart to Him. Jesus continues to have pity on us and our sufferings, and He desires for us to join Him in the kingdom of heaven.
So how do we hear God’s voice directing our path? I believe we must first have a genuine humility that we need God for all that we do. We must trust in God’s promises, and then we must stop and listen. This is probably the most difficult part for most of us. Even in the course of our normal conversations, we listen but we are already formulating what we are going to say in response. Listening to God requires silence, emptiness, and time. The more we surrender to God in the silence, the better we will be able to hear God speak to us. I am not necessarily expecting God to speak words into my ears, but more likely I hope to experience gentle urgings or ideas that arise in the course of time. Discerning God’s will is not simple, but when we follow God’s direction we will find ourselves in a place of peace. This does not mean it will be easy or without suffering, but there will be a deep sense that we have been our true selves in the actions and words we have shared.
At the end of each day, as I look back on my many activities, encounters and conversations, I stop to recognize if God was present in what I did. There are times when I experience peace, but other times when I know that I did not listen well or follow God’s lead. At these times, I find solace in a prayer that Thomas Merton wrote:
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.
May we continue to stop and listen for God’s voice in our lives. May we find comfort knowing that even if we feel lost and alone, God is always with us and desires to bring us to share in the kingdom of heaven. As we become more in tuned with God’s voice, may we become the face of God and His voice to bring healing, renewal and hope to the world around us. AMEN
Marylynn Herchline