Let your heart be moved.
Be changed by the Word of God.
Be changed by the word of God.
“Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” (Is 55:10-11)
There is the word of God, words recorded in Sacred Scripture, that reveal who God is and what it means to live in right relationship with God and others. And there is the Word of God, Jesus Christ, who shows and shares God’s love perfectly and who invites us, calls us, compels us to live as God desires. We are called to listen to God’s word and to see God’s love manifested in Jesus, the Word of God, so that we may be of one heart and mind with the Lord, bearing the fruit of God’s love, justice, and peace in our lives, cities, and world.
All ears
We all know there is a difference between hearing and listening. Sometimes, perhaps often, we physically hear the things people are saying to us. We may hear the word of God proclaimed at Mass or in prayerful reading. We might hear the sound of a bird calling or child singing. But we do not always listen. With the word of God, we should be all ears. As St. Benedict says in his Rule, we should listen with the ear of our heart. We listen for the meaning of the passage in light of the circumstances of our lives and all that has been revealed through Scripture and Tradition.
Eyes wide open
Jesus looked beyond the surface and saw the pain, suffering, confusion, and sorrow of the people in his midst. He did not let anything stand between him and those who needed him. In seeing, he responded with God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing. As Christ’s people, we are called to open our eyes to the needs of those around us. We must honestly examine our lives, admit that we are sometimes weak, selfish, complacent, or trapped by fear. With eyes wide open we see the ways we might show God’s love through our attitudes and actions and resolve to respond as the Lord desires.
Hearts moved by love
Our Sunday readings this month challenge us to not only hear the word of God, but to take it deeply to our hearts, and to act on it. The word of God, we are told, is like a seed. Do we cultivate our hearts as good soil in which God’s word may take root and grow? Do we open our minds to the challenge of living as Christ’s people? Do we bear good fruit, as disciples and stewards who hear the call of Christ and respond with our lives? The Gospels may sound harsh at times, as Jesus describes the difference between those who are faithful and fruitful and those who are not. Yet when we allow God’s Word to take root in our hearts, responding will not be burdensome, but rather, our lives will bear an abundant harvest of love in the world.
Faithful and fruitful
With our ears, eyes, and hearts open to the Word and the word, our lives will be transformed. Our hearts will be moved. We will become more like the One whose word we hear. Our listening to the Word of God will change us! We will be Christ’s people in the world.