Listen Up

What would happen if Jesus came to church next Sunday?  I mean, if He showed up in his first-century garb – robe, sandals, beard – and walked up to this ambo and began to speak.  What would you do?  How would you react?

I suspect it’s a safe bet that all of us would have our eyes fixed on Him and our ears tuned to every word He spoke.  Of course, someone would probably be on a cell phone, alerting the media!

Such an event should not strike us as unusual, however, because Jesus comes here every Sunday to speak to us.  That’s what Catholic tradition teaches – that when the word of God is proclaimed in our midst, Christ speaks to us today.  He comes in disguise, we might say, speaking through the lectors and the deacons and priests who proclaim the readings.  The Second Vatican Council put it this way: “[Christ] is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in the Church.”

Most of us are aware of Christ’s presence in the presider as well as in the people gathered for worship. Jesus’ presence in the word is yet another way He reveals Himself to us.  Reverence for Christ present in His word calls us to attentive listening.  Many of us have developed a habit of following along in the missal, a habit we should try to break!  The proper response to Jesus who is present is to put down the books and listen with open ears and open hearts to what the Lord is saying to us.

Listening does not mean being passive, however.  Truly listening is a very active response when someone speaks to us.  We show respect for anyone who talks with us by looking at the person and concentrating on what he or she is saying.  That takes effort on our part, not allowing other thoughts or external distractions to claim our attention.

It may be helpful to realize that our primary task is not to get every word that is spoken, but to listen carefully to whatever word the Lord wants each of us to hear that day.  This will vary from person to person, but Christ offers each of us the message that we really need to hear.  It’s a good idea to read the readings at home before you come to Mass; that’s why we print the Scripture references in the bulletin each week.  Then when the word is proclaimed, we can allow Christ to speak directly to us through the readings and the homily.  If we are touched by one word or phrase or idea every Sunday, and nurture that word in our heart through the week, then God’s word will be effective in our lives.

In the silence after the readings and after the homily, we might ask ourselves two simple questions:  What did I hear Jesus say?  And how will I live that word this week?  The answers to those questions have the power to change our lives!