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If Today You Hear His Voice... Turn Off Your Phone!
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October 13, 2023Friday, October 6, 2023
If Today You Hear His Voice...Turn Off Your Phone!In today’s readings, as he often does, God is calling us to repentance.
(Readings: Baruch 1:15-22;
Psalm 79:1-9; and Luke 10:13-16)
Our first reading is from Baruch (which by the way is one of the seven books of the Old Testament that Protestants removed from their bible). The Jews who are in exile in Babylon acknowledge that the reason for their woes—the reason for their enslavement and exile—is that over and over they had rejected God. From the time He had bought them out of slavery in Egypt they had been disobedient to God, disregarding His voice.
He had given them everything, not because they deserved it, but because he was their God, and they were his people. He loved them. Yet, time after time they went off after the devices of their own wicked hearts. They served other gods and did evil in the sight of God.
God was constantly speaking to them, showing them how to live and giving them miracle after miracle. He was constantly showering down his love upon them. Yet, like spoiled children, there was no repentance, no change of heart.
Eventually, not because God abandoned them but because they had abandoned God, they lost everything—even the land flowing with milk and honey that God had given them. God didn’t make it happen, that’s just how life works when we harden our hearts to Him. When we become so distant from God that we either can’t or don’t want to hear His voice.
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
In this Old Testament reading we see that people abandoning God is nothing new. In fact, it’s been going on from the beginning, hasn’t it? From the time of Adam and Eve, it seems that nothing God does for us or gives us is good enough; and just like with Adam and Eve, the enemy knows the temptations and lies to present us to draw us away. He knows our weaknesses, our wounds, and unfortunately, he knows our sinful hearts.
In our gospel reading, we see that in his time Jesus is still dealing with the sinful and unrepentant hearts of man—and it seems as though he might be getting a little tired of it. In fact, the very first thing Jesus had said when he started his public ministry was, “Repent and Believe in the Gospel.”
Today he chastises the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because they remained sinful, and unrepentant even after many mighty deeds had been done in their midst. It’s almost like Jesus was asking them, “What do I have to do? I sent my disciples to you and they healed the sick and cast out demons, yet you are still happy to remain in your sin?”
St. Paul was still addressing this in his time, and in Romans 12 he gave some very good advice on how to avoid this trap of the devil.
He said, “Brothers, I beg you to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”
So, my friends, what can we do to be transformed and renewed so that we know God’s will for our lives? How can we avoid conforming ourselves to a culture that is moving farther and farther from God?
The answer of course is Jesus and establishing a strong and personal relationship with him through Prayer, Self-Denial, and Works of Mercy.
Prayer — In it’s many forms: prayers of praise, thanksgiving, adoration, supplication, petition, intercession (which by the way are all part of the Mass, which is not only the perfect prayer but most importantly the place where Jesus comes down from heaven and offers his body and blood to us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. If everyone truly understood and believed what is going on here at Mass, this church would be packed every day no matter what time Mass was).
Self-Denial — Denying ourselves in small but consistent ways daily.
Works of Mercy — Helping or caring for those who are sick or suffering in some way.
Now, I’m not talking about checking a box daily in these three categories. I am talking about surrendering our lives to the Lord daily, taking up our cross and allowing Jesus to lead us along his narrow way to holiness and heaven, to lead us into his heart.
Even if the culture, our friends or even our family may look at us as if we are crazy for focusing our life on the Lord and striving to live according to his will instead of focusing on me, myself, and I.
As St. Paul said, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”
Brothers and Sisters, If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Amen
