Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Mk 9:2-10
On the top of a high mountain, the disciples have an incredible experience. Jesus became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared alongside of Jesus. Peter, James and John were ‘terrified’. Then a cloud appeared. In this super-charged atmosphere, the voice from the cloud gives a simple command: Listen. Listen to him.
During Lent, many dive into a flurry of Lenten observances: fasting from certain things, abstaining from eating meat on Fridays, Lenten reading or acts of charity. With this story of the transfiguration of the Lord, and the command from the voice in the cloud, there is one important observance to add to this list, maybe the most important: Lenten listening.
To become better listeners, it might be worthwhile to apply some well-attested listening techniques to the manner in which you listen to God.
The begin: Would you consider yourself a good listener? Let me rephrase the question. To those who are married, is your spouse a good listener? To those who are not married, is your sister or brother, mother or father a good listener? I am guessing the answers are mixed.
If we are mediocre listeners with the people right in front of us, what type of listener will we be with the beloved Son, who at times is veiled in mystery?
Many times I hear people say they pray, but they don’t hear God speaking to them. One reason is that God sometimes makes us wait. But sometimes God speaks in various and subtle ways. By improving our listening skills, which may also be called discernment, we will also improve our understanding of what God is saying to us.
The voice of from the cloud speaks one simple command, “listen”. “Listen to him”. To better heed this voice this Lent, let us explore some basic listening skills that apply to both listening situations.
Being Present. The first skill in listening is being totally present to the other. Some good ways to do this would be to minimize the distractions, clear unnecessary clutter, turn off the cell phone and TV. After this, engage the person in an intimate dialogue. Be attentive, lean in a little, make good eye contact. Listen intently with not only your ears, but your eyes and your heart.
It is no different when listening to God. Find a time and place where there will be few distractions. No TV. No cell phone. No clutter. Be attentive. Listen intently with not only your ears, but your eyes and your heart.
Some people say they pray in their car while driving. This is a good way to make the Lord part of your entire day. But driving sixty miles per hour may not be the best time to be one hundred percent attentive to listening to the voice of the Lord.
Keep and Open Mind. Another skill of good listening is keeping an open mind. Sometimes we are quick to conclude what the person is trying to say, because that is what the person has always said, or because that is what you think the person ought to say. Instead it is better to be open to where the other person is leading you.
When listening to God, keeping an open mind is essential. Take an honest look at the circumstances of your life and the deeply felt yearnings in your heart. Use these as a guide to listen to God speaking to you.
Related to keeping an open mind, good listeners are also not too quick to offer their own solutions or express their own opinions. This is also very important when listening to God. At times, our prayer involves telling God exactly what needs to be done instead of simply being present and listening.
Limit Talking About Yourself. Another skill of a good listener is that he or she spends little time talking about themselves, their life, their problems, their achievements. A good listener simply listens.
As it relates to listening to God, ask yourself: When you pray, do you spend most of your time talking about yourself – your life, your problems, your needs – or do you spend most of your time listening to the voice of God?
Ask Clarifying Questions. Another skill of a good listener is to ask clarifying questions and to seek a deeper understanding of what the other is trying to communicate. When listening to God, it is also important to formulate questions, and quite common to come up with new questions. Even the disciples left this magnificent transfiguration experience with a question: “What does rising from the dead mean?”
With another person, the answers come quickly and provide some clarity. With God, the answers often come to us slowly, in various and fragmented ways. Our faith tells us that God will reveals the answers to our questions at the proper time – provided we open our hearts and listen.
Here are two ways to practice your “Lenten Listening”:
First, find some opportunities time to have a deep, meaningful conversations with another person. As the saying goes, “More people have been listened into heaven than preached into heaven.” Listening with compassion, empathy, seeking understanding is sometimes the best tool of an evangelist.
Second, spend some time in prayer – not saying anything, not thinking anything, but simply heed the simple instructions from the cloud and “listen to him.” When your mind wanders repeat the words of the gospel, “Listen to him.” Not to your self. Not to your circumstances. Not to the distractions around you. Listen to HIM.