Monday of the Third Week of Advent
There are countless examples in the Bible of humanity not listening: Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, Pharaoh hardened his heart to God and did not listen, and the Chosen People, once freed from slavery in Egypt the people’s grumbling and complaining, which can also be seen as their refusal to listen. In contrast, the Gospel gives us the example of St. Joseph. Joseph, a righteous man, heard from the angel what he was to do. What was his response? Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him…”
Not to listen to God is an act of rebellion against Him. In modern-day terms, disobedience says: “I’m going to do what I want to do”—without any prayer or further reflection on what God wants. At the root, doing whatever we want is a failure to trust that God is a Loving Father. St. Joseph heard the angel’s command in the dream, but he still had to choose to carry it out. To obey that inner voice of God in our lives is to say: Lord, I trust in you and your plan for my life, I believe you will provide for me what I need to be faithful in following You. Henri Nouwen describes beautifully this inner voice of God: “You have to trust the inner voice that shows the way. You know that inner voice. You turn to it often. Only by attending constantly to the inner voice can you be converted to a new life of freedom and joy.” Let our first act of obedience be to the God who speaks in our hearts.
Reflection by Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB
Posted in Articles for Advent, Daily Reflections