Understanding God through Listening (Homily for Wednesday of the 16th week in Ordinary time year II July 24 2024

Homily for Wednesday of the 16th week in Ordinary time year II July 24 2024

Understanding God through Listening 

For the past two days, the gospel readings have focused on the theme of listening. Yesterday, Jesus elevated those who listen to Him to the status of being His mother, brothers, and sisters. But what does this listening entail? Jesus answers this question in today's gospel through the parable of the sower.

In this parable, the same seeds react differently when they encounter various types of soil. The seed represents the Word of God, and the different soils symbolize the various dispositions of our hearts. Listening is not merely hearing someone speak; it involves properly disposing one's heart to wholeheartedly receive what is being said. The Word of God is alive and active everywhere, destined to bring about transformation when it meets an open heart. When the heart is not open, the Word does not force itself, and transformation is hindered. It is possible to hear the Word and be merely entertained rather than transformed. An entertained heart is represented by the edge of the path, rocky ground, and thorns in today's gospel.

It is unfortunate that sometimes, when people hear God's Word, instead of opening themselves to be transformed, they assume the role of examiners, evaluating the homiletic abilities of the preacher as if it were a rhetorical exercise. This is why, when people praise a preacher, it is often not because they have discovered a new area of their lives that demands conversion, but because they feel entertained. In fact, if the homily convicts them, they may leave with a negative impression of the homilist.

Beloved, each time God speaks to us, He gives us an assignment—to become better persons. None of us have completed our journey of personal transformation. A child who never does their homework cannot excel academically. A genuine sign that we have heard from God is when we become more Christ-like, not when we open churches or ministries.

The more we allow ourselves to be transformed by God's Word, the more we will come to understand Him. Each time God answers our prayers, He is strengthening our hearts for those times when He may seem silent.

Beloved children of God, those who truly listen never forget. When Psalm 103:2 admonishes us never to forget the deeds of the Lord, it is urging us to learn to listen.