After the fire there was this tiny whispering sound
There is this old folk saying that goes something like this. “You have two ears and one mouth. That means you should be listening twice as much as talking. ” With all the noise of the world it is obvious, that people should be listening more than speaking. Good luck on that one.
For Elijah the word of the Lord was not in the wind, or earthquake, or fire. Most of us desire the word of the Lord in our lives. Elijah was trying to do the will of God. You and I may also be trying to seek the will of God. However, there are some we know in our lives that do not seek the will of God in their lives. We all know them. We pray for them.
This brings us to our Gospel today. You have heard that it was said You shall not commit adultery. But i say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already commited adultery with her in his heart.
I high school, I had a friend Tommy. We went to a small Catholic High School. He and his brother were younger but we still hung out together. Tom even dated my sister for a while. Tom was on a journey and eventually went into the seminary which didn’t last. He married another nice girl and raised a family. When his his wife died he went back into the seminary and had a late vocation. As a priest I could help not calling him Tommy.
He had a mission and preached his warning on the sin of Pornography. He felt called and spoke often on the subject. Just like Elijah he heard the message of the Lord. Today with the internet the objects of occasion of sin to the young are exponential. Now Father Tom spoke to the youth and warned how the sin could ruin the life of every young boy or girl. Not just it is a sin but it affects our attitudes to the opposite sex. It is a sin of respect for others. Just like Elijah he followed the call of the Lord. We need to pray for those around us who are addicted to this sin. Just like alcohol it can be a sickness.
This brings us today and how our two readings today come home to us. On Monday night we had a Knights of Columbus meeting. The incoming Grand Knight spoke of his commitment of having more opportunities for adoration for our council.
Here we go. God speaks to us when we listen to Him. In adoration we have to listen. Listen. Listen. When was the last time you listened to God. Sure we do it everyday by scripture. No, just listen to God in His presence.
Just like Elijah , God will not answer our requests when we are doing all the talking. He can’t give us the direction we are looking for either. Elijah listened.
Are you listening ?
Listen for that whisper!
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
Picture Credit: “Whispering Spruce Trail” by Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region is marked with CC PDM 1.0
