“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 would have 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, it is not easy at all. To know
when the voice of God is calling out to you can be a tricky thing indeed. When I was in seminary to study to be a
priest, my classmates and I would struggle with God’s will for us as it
pertained to 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.
Our Lenten disciplines are supposed to
help us on our journey, they are supposed to help us distinguish God’s voice in
the midst of so 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. But we can’t give up.
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