A bible laid open on a rock. A red bookmark ribbon rests in the crease between pages.

I Love to Hear Your Voice

By Sister Marie Estelle, O.C.D.

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps.95).

I have to be honest, as a youth growing up and attending Mass, I got tired of this refrain being sung or read over and over and over during Lent. Why does the Church have us repeat this? As I prayed with the readings, I saw and experienced in my heart how easily we can all slip into the list of indictments in the first reading – words which cut to our heart!

“They obeyed not, nor did they heed.”
“They turned their backs…”
“They stiffened their necks…”
“This is a nation that does not listen…
“Faithfulness has disappeared.”

This staunch lack of listening and gentle posture toward the One who calls us to life demands to be repeated…so slow are we to learn and heed! How deeply the Lord longs for us to find the path to life!

We then move into the Gospel which straightaway declares: “Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds were amazed.” Alas, the demons, and a mute one at that, obey the voice of the Lord!

This ought to move us to draw close to Jesus, the WAY, the one who comes to heal us of our mute and deaf spirits and our hard, broken hearts. Drawing close to him we then can enter freedom and joy and our new refrain becomes…

“Come, let us bow down in worship;/let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.”

Jesus, I come to you….teach me to listen…guide me…lead me…even if it leads to the Cross…I love to hear your voice.

Mar 27, 2025 | Carmelite Spirituality, Reflections, Scripture and Liturgy

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