Listening to God’s Voice

Praying over the Thursday readings this past week, I was struck by Jesus’ words to the religious authorities of his day: “You have never heard his voice, you have never seen his shape, and his word finds no home in you because you do not believe in the one he has sent” (Jn 5:37-38, emphasis added).

While this scriptural passage appears to be an accusation, the Good News it contains is that in the light of Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of His Holy Spirit, we can indeed discern Jesus’ voice, experience the Word at home in our hearts, and intimately know “the One,” Jesus, whom God has sent for our salvation. Experiencing these things at a human level, however, often requires a humility that causes curious questions such as, “What might God be trying to reveal to me?” “What is Jesus saying to me?” and “How is the Holy Spirit moving in me?” The way you might discern the voice and presence of the Lord in your life will be different from the person next to you, but there are three commonalities.

The first commonality is prayer. I was at a faith formation workshop a couple of years ago with one of the best speakers in our Archdiocese, Deacon Peter Pellicaan. At the end of his talk, which focused on different aspects of a healthy faith life, one of the audience members stood up and courageously shared what she was experiencing in that moment. She said,

“But Deacon Peter, everything you’ve just shared presupposes that we pray. I don’t pray; I don’t know how to pray. I come to Mass every week, but no one has ever taught me how to pray outside of saying the prayers I know by heart.”

Friends, if the Bible tells us one thing, it is that God desires to be in relationship with all of humanity. If the last 2,000 years of Christianity reveal one thing (big ‘T’ Tradition, which is a source of Divine Revelation), it is that relationship with God takes place through Jesus, and that it takes place first and foremost through prayer. Somewhere in the 20th century, however, we created a culture where reception of the Eucharist was the primary requirement of a healthy faith life. It is no surprise that Archbishop Mark, following the 2023 Archdiocesan Summit, placed ‘Teaching Prayer’ at the top of a list of 12 Apostolic Priorities. Discerning the voice and presence of Jesus in our lives requires a deliberate approach to praying in which we listen more than we speak. As the Lord says through the Psalmist, “Be still, and know that I am God” (46:10), and through the pen of St. John, “My sheep listen to my voice” (7:16). Following the four S’s is a helpful way to seek and discern the Voice and Presence of Jesus in our hearts: Stillness, Silence, Solitude, and Scripture.

The second commonality people may experience is noticing what strikes us or draws our attention. As I sat with the words of Scripture above, I was drawn to reflect upon the words of a Psalm: “The voice of the Lord is full of power; the voice of the Lord is full of splendour” (29:3-4). I was struck by the way I was drawn from “You have never heard my voice,” to “The voice of the Lord full of power.” There have been many times when I’ve experienced a powerful word that has caught my attention during prayer. When that word has drawn me into love, forgiveness, peace, or patience, it is sometimes clear that the Voice of the Lord Jesus has been present. While my experience may be unique, people often experience some sense of being struck by a word or phrase from the Bible that draws them to discern the powerful Voice and Presence of Jesus in their lives.

The third commonality people experience is an emotion that is given by God (e.g., love, joy, peace). Generationally, many people have been taught not to trust their emotions. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, contemporary psychology studies argued whether emotions were caused by the body or not. It wasn’t until the 1960s that modern psychological approaches to emotion were developed – namely, that certain emotions are automatically triggered by objects and events in the world, while others result from the cognitive interpretation of objects and events. God desires so much more for us than an emotionless faith life that is rooted in what we faithfully do and the actions we choose. The Psalms, amongst many other Scriptures,    demonstrate that God’s desire is for our joyful response to what God has done and is doing in our lives. I can do no more than encourage you to choose daily personal private prayer; to pray in a way that involves listening to and meditating on what draws your attention, as well as noticing emotions that are given, so that you may be empowered to notice and discern the Voice and Presence of Jesus in your heart and mind.

Peace and blessings, Fr. Josh