Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10:1-10
Self-proclaimed Influencers. Podcasters. YouTube. Content creators. Tik Tok. Politicians. Advertisers. Late Night talk show hosts. Facebook. Op-Ed pieces. Pundits. Editorial Boards.
Popes. TV newscasters. Reddit. Substack. Discord. Instagram. Homilists?
So many voices vying for our attention.
And let us not forget employers, co-workers, neighbors, in-laws, spouses, children, pets, emails, texts, and incessant notifications from our phones, wristwatches, Fitbits and computers.
It’s exhausting!
I recently unsubscribed [and they don’t make that easy!]
from a number of subscription items that came daily into my phone.
My phone is quieter. I am calmer.
And yes, a lot of this is my fault and yours.
Let’s admit that we are all to some degree addicted to our technology;
an invasive drug in the guise of supposedly connecting us.
Then there’s that fear of thinking we are missing out on something.
Yet, this is the world we’ve created, participate in
and are called to live out our spiritual lives as Christians.
Technology is not the enemy.
Many of the voices looking for our attention are not the enemy.
The enemy? The place these myriads of voices hold in our lives.
This is not a harangue against the present culture
but rather a plea for discernment in our Christian lives.
The spiritual life calls for us to be discerning listeners
that make astute judgements and choices.
Thus, whom are the voices you and I listen to? And why?
And here’s where sheep come into the mix.
Shepherding is not a part of our American suburban experience, but most of us know
that sheep do not have a reputation for being the brightest bulb in the marquee.
Sheep are followers not leaders,
yet they have something to teach us Christians.
A sheepfold encloses the flocks belonging to a number of shepherds for the night.
In the morning, the recognition by the sheep of the voice of their particular shepherd is vital.
This recognition keeps the flocks separate and the life of a group of shepherds harmonious.
I’ve wondered though, how long does it take for a newborn lamb
to begin to recognize the voice of its particular shepherd?
Among everyone who is competing for our attention,
how do we discern the voice of Jesus? A voice, Isaiah prophesizes, comes
“not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street.”
How do you even hear amidst all the noise, never mind recognize, the voice of Jesus
who quietly speaks to the heart? How do we discern?
Silence. Scripture. The Sacred Liturgy.
Silence.
We need to become comfortable with silence and learn the art of listening.
Begin by turning all technology OFF. Leave it where you can’t reach it or be tempted by it.
Pray for the Spirit’s gift of surrender to silence.
Then, go for a walk. Sit in a quiet, undisturbed place. Driving to and from work.
Pray for the Spirit’s gift of an open heart to hear what God personally wants to say to you.
In reading a passage of sacred scripture, the object is not to finish but to be aware of any word, phrase or image that risers off the page and speaks to your heart and situation.
STOP. Savor and treasure these words or images in your heart as Mary did.
Ponder them; whether words of challenge, desolation or consolation.
Give God thanks and go on your way.
The Sacred Liturgy.
We need to reclaim the Holy Eucharist as the source of our life and the highpoint of our week.
As you are driving to church, turn all technology OFF. Set your mind on what you are about to do.
Pray for the Spirit’s gift of surrender to whatever might happen during these sacred rites.
Sing with gusto. Listen intently. Watch. Look about. Praise, thank and bless God.
Silence. Scripture. The Sacred Liturgy.
Set the stage. Call upon the Holy Spirit. Enter the experience. And you will discern Jesus’ voice.
The multitude of voices will not go away.
We need to discern and choose whom we will listen to.
Toward the end of articles on a Catholic App, it says in big, bold, black letters, Follow us.
And you can choose from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and YouTube.
But in small print, like a whisper, under Follow us it reads, “But follow Jesus first.”
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