In the gospel reading for mass today, Jesus explains to his disciples how to be “unprofitable servants”. It isn’t really all that difficult to follow what he means. We are supposed to do what Jesus asks us to do, simply because we are his disciples. When he tells us to do something, we do it. Waiters and waitresses listen to their customers and then go and do what they ask. It is really pretty simple. The complicated part is listening. Most of the time when Jesus asks us to do something, we simply follow our heart. Perhaps we love children and so we spend time with them. Or maybe we love art or music, or poetry. Or maybe our hearts go out to those who are sick and suffering, so we dedicate our lives to alleviating human suffering. There are many other examples of the ways that we follow our heart, like a vocational call to marriage, or the priesthood, or religious life.
However, what Jesus is talking about in today’s gospel is a little different from this. Sometimes there are things that the Lord would like to see done. If you try to live in union with his will, by going to mass and confession regularly, pray every day, maybe go to adoration once a week, take care of your family and do your job, and contribute your time, talent or money toward helping others, then you will draw closer to Jesus. Small sacrifices mean a lot to him. You may even come to love Jesus so much that whatever you personally want is beside the point. You only want what he wants. The closer you come to the Lord the more fine tuned you are to his will. Best friends are like that. Married couples are too. After a while, you can detect a slight change in their mood before they ever say a word. It can even seem like you can almost read their mind sometimes.
We are never quite this close to Jesus, but it is possible to pick up on his wishes. They usually are not something you want at all. Your heart may not be called to something Jesus wants you to do. But, the Lord sends his Spirit to tug at you until you listen. It is like pulling on your sleeve to get your attention. It won’t let up and it won’t relent. It can be compared to the way that men are called to the priesthood. This “presence” will not let up until you quit resisting, and listen to what the Lord wants to say.
Our modern lives are so busy that many of us have forgotten how to simply be in the present moment, in complete silence. We have to fill the silence with something, because many of us do not like to be alone with our thoughts. It might seem uncomfortable, or boring. Yet contemplation is anything but boring. Actually, the spiritual life is a lot more challenging, interesting and rewarding than many other trivial things that we seem to focus so much of our time on. The Holy Spirit comes in the silence though and speaks to your heart, not in an audible voice, but in a language that all humans instinctively understand. Without this silence, solitude, prayer and grace from the sacraments, it is impossible to hear his voice. The Holy Spirit does not always speak during prayer though, He can pay you a visit anywhere, even in the middle of a busy crowd.
It could be something simple. A request to sit with him at adoration. Jesus calls us to prayer sometimes. He misses our company. In the middle of shopping, cooking dinner, working at your desk or whatever, you may feel a strong prompting that you just can’t shake. This is important to pay attention to and do whatever he tells you to do.
Mother Teresa received her “call within a call” while on a train ride. The silence and lack of immediate tasks to be done frees the soul and encourages our hearts to open to the voice of the Spirit when and if, He should pay us a visit. This same experience can happen while taking a hot shower, doing yard work or gardening, or even in the midst of cleaning house if you are in an environment of silence and solitude and without immediate pressing tasks to be done or stress affecting you at the time.
Your family or friends may think you are nuts if you listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and act on it. Your actions may seem out of character and other people may not understand them, but trust Jesus. He will confirm his intentions in a way you can understand, that you are indeed doing what he asked of you. What he asks is unique to you and your life because you are like a precious jewel in his eyes and no two jewels are exactly alike.
If you listen to Jesus, then one day you will be like the souls who are in the hand of God in today’s first reading for mass. Your soul will shine. Your light comes from inside of your very being and like the first reading says, you shall dart about as sparks through stubble one day in eternal life.
“Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love. Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.”
Daily Mass Readings:
Wis 2: 23-3:9 / Ps 34: 2-3, 16-19 / Lk 17: 7-10
