Are You Listening?

Are you listening?

Have you ever been prompted to call someone on the phone, stop by to see someone, double check on a child in bed, or in some way listen to this little voice or prompting? I think it was the Holy Spirit doing His job. Perhaps the voice said, “stop,” or “go,” or “listen.”

Once in a while this may result in a big, miraculous event like deciding to go on a walk and being there to prevent a young child from chasing a ball onto the road just before a car passes. Most of the time, however, when we listen to this prompting from the Holy Spirit we will simply be drawn to the place where Christ wants us to be—maybe a miraculous event or maybe just a simple conversation.

This is the voice I know I can hear, but often I am too caught up in my own lists of “to do’s” to pay attention to it. When we are busy and anxious “Marthas” we very seldom hear this prompting that tells us to go and be with Jesus. And it’s not just the Jesus at Mass or Adoration, although it could be. It can be the Jesus that we see in the face of others.

To hear these promptings and to follow them takes grace. This is something we can ask for in our prayer times. We can beg for this when we go to Mass. We can start our day with a Morning Offering and specifically ask to be cognizant of where the Holy Spirit is calling us. We can either ask that we be able to pick up these subtle signs or ask for, like what I need, big, hard-to-miss signs (those with large, flashing lights and arrows.)

Either way, the Holy Spirit is here to help us find Christ. Let’s rely a little more on this Third Person of the Trinity to help us to be more like Mary—sister of Martha (who “chose the better part.”) The Holy Spirit is real. Let’s not be afraid to let Him do His work and listen to Him.