“Shma Israel, Adonai elo – hey – nu, Adonai e – chad” This is part of the Shema prayer that we hear in the Gospel today – “Hear O Israel – the Lord our God is Lord alone.” This is a prayer that Jesus prayed on a daily basis as a practicing Jew in ancient Israel. We can know that God is our Lord and master, but how does that affect our lives? Through the psalmist, the Lord tells us: “I am the Lord your God – Hear my voice.” This might sound easy in theory, but in practice, we know it is not easy at all. To know when the voice of God is calling out to us - that is not always easy to discern. When I was in seminary to study to be a priest, my classmates and I would struggle with God’s will for us as we discerned our vocations. I bet all of us would like to be able to hear God’s voice speak to us loudly and clearly, but it doesn't always work that way. Hearing God’s voices is not always straight-forward.
Our Lenten disciplines are there to help us on our journey. These disciples are to help us distinguish God’s voice in the midst of many other voices. Through fasting, almsgiving, and praying, we are to open our hearts to God, to hear his voice, to recognize his authority in our lives. As I said – easier said than done.
No comments:
Post a Comment