How can I listen to God? (1st September 2007)
In this series we will share on how we can listen to God daily. However, the first and more important question is "Do you want to listen to God?" This is much more important than the how. Because if we truly want to listen, then we will surely be able to, for God's desires is bigger than ours.
Let's take some time to reflect what is our attitude on listening to God. In listening to God, are we treating God like an answering machine or like a lover?
What's the difference? Sometimes we treat God as if he is an answering machine. We listen to him only when we want to. We listen to him only when we felt the need, when we are confused, when we are in difficulties. Then in those moments, we call God, and we hope God to speak to us, and to answer us. We are treating God as if he is answering machine.
But a lover attitude is different. We listen to Him anytime and anywhere. We make time to listen to him. We spend time just to be with Him. We listen to him no matter how difficult it is. We take his words seriously because we know that he cares for us and he loves us. If we are not in the mood of listening, we will still make the effort to listen to him. This is the lover attitude. And I believe this is what God is inviting us to.
So how does God speak to us? We all know the answer. He speaks to us in many different ways and in many different occasions. However, he speaks to us especially through one particular way, in fact, through one particular person in history: Jesus. This is what St. Paul told us
Hebrew 1
[1] In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;
[2]
but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed
the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
God indeed speaks to us in many different ways, but in these last days, God speaks to us through his only Son, Jesus. And so if we want to listen to God, we need to listen to Jesus. If we want to know God, we need to know Jesus. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus. God speaks to us through his only Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
But the question is how does Jesus speak to us? His physical body is not here anymore, many people objected. He is still with us, if only we believe what he said to us.
"...and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Mat 28:20)
Jesus is still with us today and he still speaks to us to day. In our days, Jesus speaks to us mostly through his Church and the Scripture.
In the past I couldn't except this truth. I was expecting God to speaks clear and loud in my ears as clear and as loud as all of my friends. I even expect him to speak even louder (isn't He God?). But I was wrong. God taught me that he speaks in a different way, yet, It is He who speaks to me. He reminded me by the passage from the first book of Kings. You can read 1 Kings 19:11-13.
[11] And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the
LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent
the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the
LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the
LORD was not in the earthquake;
[12] and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
[13]
And when Eli'jah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went
out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a
voice to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Eli'jah?"
What shocked me was that God came in the still small voice. He didn't come in earthquake and thunder or great fire. But he came in a still small voice. As we read the scriptures, God speaks to us in that still small voice. It might not be a physical sound as we hear from our friends, but it is God who speaks. He speaks in his own way. And what important is that he speaks to me. What I need to do is to be attentive to his voice.
So what is our response? As I mentioned what we need is not the tangible sound of the voice. What we need is faith! We need to believe that it is God who speaks to us in the Liturgy and in the Scripture. It is he who speaks to us as the Church speaks to us. Two thousand years ago, God came and speaks in a tangible human voice. He spoke, he healed, and he did miracle. But you know what? Some people still just couldn't believe in Him. They heard him in their ears, but they couldn't accept it in their hearts. The pharisees didn't believe in Him. What we need is not that tangible voice in listening to God. What we need is not that sensation. What we actually need is simply faith.
And so we need to ask God to help us. Help us to to believe, and help us to listen, O Lord. Give us faith to know that you speak to us every time we go to the mass, every time the Word is being proclaimed. Help us to believe and to respect you in that proclamation of the Gospel, because it is You who speaks. Help us to listen to the Church, your living body on earth, the pillar and bulwark of truth.
Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam
-end-
The Church's Ancient Way (8th September 2007)
The "Eye" of Scripture Reading (15th September 2007)
Many
of read the scripture without using the "Eye" of scripture reading. How
is it possible? Let's see what it means with the "eye" of scripture
reading. When we read the scripture, God speaks to us. The "Eye" of
scripture reading is first and foremost God's own eye. When he speaks
to us, his eyes is upon us. He is looking at us. When I read the
scripture, God speaks to me, and when he speaks to me, he looks at me.
But to help us understand more and to make it more practical,
let's get the second meaning of the "eye" of scripture reading. The
practical point is that, when we meditate the scripture, we need to
reflect upon our lives. And one way to reflect the scripture passage in
the context of our lives is to ask questions with "I" or "my" (notice
the sounds, it's the "eye").
Let's take some examples. Maybe we can take Luke 6:32-36.
How should we meditate? Remember that God is looking at us and we need
to reflect upon our lives. What we can do is to ask questions related
to the passage such as these:
- Who is my enemy?
- Who are the people that I need to love?
- Do I expect something in return when I do good?
- Am I merciful?
- etc, etc
Let's take another example. Read Ex 3:1-6. How should we use the eye of scripture reading. Remember that God is looking at us and our lives.
- What is the holy ground in my life? the church? Do I come to church appropriately and with respect?
- What are the things that I need to put off before coming to God?
- Am I afraid to look at God? What is my relationship with God? is it fearful like a slaves or fear like a son?
- Do I respond to God "here I am"? What is God calling me to?
- etc, etc
Those
are some examples, and one question is enough for our meditation. What
important is that, we start seeing what God is seeing. God sees us, he
is speaking to us, and he wants us to change and do what he is telling
us. The danger of scripture reading is that we simply read without
meditating it. And the other danger in meditating it is that we forget
to look at our lives but only at others. It's easy to meditate on love,
how much that this and that people do not really love me, but it's
difficult to meditate whether I
have love as God loves. It's easy to meditate on others should be more
patient, forgiving, don't do this and that. But it's difficult to
meditate on what areas that I should be more patient, who are the people that I should forgive, How can I start forgive these people, what are the sins that I should throw away? what should I do?
The
"eye" of scripture reading reminds that God is speaking to us at that
moment. His concerns is on us. What he wants to change is us. And this
is the reason why one of the most important question in meditating the
scripture is this: What should I do? What is God asking me to do through this passage?
[24] "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
[25]
and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat
upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on
the rock.
[26] And every one who hears these words of mine
and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house
upon the sand;
[27] and the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great
was the fall of it."
(Mat 7:24-27)
This is what Jesus reminds us.
But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." (Luk 8:21)
-end-
The Scripture, the Eucharist, and Our Daily Life
