Mr. Bhola was getting late to office…

As he was getting ready and keeping his file and office bag ready… he called out to his wife, who was inside the kitchen, preparing breakfast:
” Please get me my tie!”

He continued to get ready and as he began to tie his shoes, he called out, little more loudly,  to his wife who had not responded to him yet:
” Would you please get me my tie?!”

Bhola was by now dressed up, but his wife had not responded yet…

Irritated, he went into the kitchen and screamed at her:
“Can’t you hear what I said? Please get me my tie!!”

His wife, turned around, and in a louder voice, shouted back:
“And for the third time, I am also telling you… Your tie is ready on the table!!”

Feeling embarassed, Bhola realised his mistake…

>> It was not his wife who did not hear…
… it was he, who did not hear!

It was not his wife who was short of listening…
… it was he, who was short of listening!

>> Very often, listening becomes a problem for us…
>> Very often, we get short of hearing properly…

Does the same happen in our life, with respect to God’s voice?

The Gospel of the Day is a call to hear properly God’s Word and receive His message into our hearts.

The Lord is beside the Sea of Galilee…
>> A very large crowd of people have gathered around Him…

Jesus, during the course of His instructions and teachings said, “Listen!” (Mk 4:3)

The people have a gathered together in a big crowd…
>> There were probably some, who were not able to get a proper sitting place…
>> There were probably many children and mothers who had to take care of their kids…
>> There were probably many sick eagerly waiting for the gracious words of the Lord…

The atmosphere would have been a bit chaotic.
>> The situation would have been a bit restless.
>> The circumstance would have been a bit noisy.

It’s in this muddled, disordered and disorganized setting, that the Lord thunders: “LISTEN!”

The voice of the Lord addresses to us at very many moments in life.
>> His sweet gentle tone speaks to us occasionally…
>> His melodious pleasant expression converses to us many times…

But am I really listening?
>> Am I giving heed to His voice?

Our ‘listening mentality’ could be classified similar to the four types of soil that Jesus mentions in the Parable of the Sower…

•       Like the soil on the wayside, we could be a “passive and unprepared listener”…
… disinterested and uncaring for God’s Words
… unmindful of any consequence or loss of God’s inspirations
… lethargic and careless about many of God’s graces and favours

•       Like the soil on the rock, we could be an “overenthusiastic yet foundationless listener”…
… showing immediate but highly temporary reaction to Godly experiences
… finding only instant gratification and satisfaction in being a devotee of God
… making great plans and resolutions, but hardly translated to real actions

•       Like the soil among thorns, we could be a “distracted and unconvinced” listener…
… confused with many pleasurable activities and diverting matters
… easily wavered by contrasting Gospel messages and inauthentic teachings
… unable to discern between true and false exhortations of faith and beliefs

•       Like the soil in a good place, we could be an “attentive and focused” listener…
… eager to act upon God’s word and make them practical in life
… keen and excited to share the saving message of Christ to other people
… passionate and zealous to become sharers of the Good News of the Lord

The Lord today invites us to become active, attentive, focused and alert listeners.

>> Let us not be short to hear…
>> Let us not be hard of listening…

Instead…

>> Let us seek to listen…
… to the Lord with a deeper longing and interest.
… to His Will with an intensified love and affection.

God Bless! Live Jesus!