Listening with the Heart

Travel can offer a new way of seeing things, revealing perhaps, a new perspective. To do so requires that we stay attentive and attuned to the present moment. However, on long rides between destinations there is a temptation to fall into a kind of boredom as the countryside goes past. I usually resist being lulled into taking the passing scenery for granted because I know I may never see that particular countryside again. And for the most part, being attentive to what we are passing by provides the opportunity to notice little things that would have otherwise been missed. This is why I tend to stay quiet whenever I am in a moving vehicle, something I have always done. Once the wheels get moving, I become quiet, observing what is around me. In the quiet, not only do we see more, but we hear more: only in the quiet can we hear our own thoughts, and better yet, we can also more readily listen to God. Jesus modeled this behavior in His ministry; while He preached often, He always listened intently to the many people who came to Him. He listened with His ears, with His eyes, and most importantly, with His Heart. 

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To listen as Jesus did, requires being fully attentive to the present. While planning for the future is imperative in many areas of our lives, making it our approach to everything in life will almost ensure loss of the present. Not only that, by living in the future we risk getting wrapped up not in what will come, but what we think is to come. And there’s the rub: life rarely goes according to our plans, and therefore it is essential that we put our trust in the Lord to guide us. When an unexpected turn occurs, it usually involves struggle of some sort, but it is through prayer, listening to God and relying on His grace that we can come to acceptance of the new situation with its unknown path. Jesus made it clear that God knows all our needs. Thus, we do not need to be overly concerned about tomorrow; He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given you and besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Matt. 6:33-34) *

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When He was with the Twelve apostles, Jesus saw how easily they became distracted or became focused on the future rather than the present. There are many examples in the Gospels which illustrate this, but the one that comes to mind is the ‘ambition’ of James and John who, distracted from the present by their mother(!), requested to sit at the right hand of Jesus in the Kingdom of God. Though it was a rebuke, Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach: “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said, “We can.” Jesus responded: "“The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”" He went on to describe to the other apostles, indignant at the ‘gall’ of James and John, that the first shall be last and the last, first. (Mark 10:38-45) In His response Jesus was emphasizing more than the fact that He is not the one who will decide this, but that they had to complete their given mission (vocation) first. Therefore, they needed to stay attentive to what was at hand rather than to focus on the end of the journey. This was encapsulated in the virtue that will enable doing just that: humility.

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The lesson in this passage is important for everyone: stay in the present moment to experience, listen, observe, learn, and then respond to the movements of God in our hearts.** It is in this process of attentiveness that we begin to see as Jesus sees, hear as Jesus hears, and love as Jesus loves. When we are so attuned to Him, discernment and wisdom will flow from the Spirit, as well as the mercy and love that only God can enliven within us. If we do not see and hear in the first place, response is impossible. Thus, seeing and hearing in this spiritual way enables greater mercy and compassion in the presence of beauty which may have been previously unseen, but now becomes evident. It is a process, not something that happens in a ‘Damascus moment’ such as with the conversion of St. Paul. It is only possible through regular prayer and study of Scripture; it is through these that we learn who God is and how He communicates His love. 

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Clearly, we do not have to take a road trip to learn to live in the present moment. Rather, the lessons we learn through our relationship with God, empowered by His grace, can be applied to everything we do. Slowing down to savor our food and to be attentive to that which is beautiful is a good start; savoring moments with family, friends, and neighbors is even better. The true holiness that comes from learning to do this will be evident when we find ourselves savoring with love everyone whom we encounter, especially the stranger, the lost, the wounded, and the lonely. In seeing and hearing with the eyes of faith, we will be listening with our heart joined to the wise and loving Heart of Jesus.

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May we learn to live in the present moment with eyes to see and ears to hear! May we trust in Jesus that He will lead us through moments of darkness and struggle! And may we learn to listen with our hearts just as Jesus does! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                              ©Michele L. Catanese

* In the passage quoted there is a final sentence which I omitted in the text, but which deserves a comment: “Sufficient for a day is its own evil,” Jesus seems to be referring to the potential temptations that come with each day of which we can fall into if our attention is elsewhere. Being attentive is not only important concerning beauty or opportunities to do good that we may miss, but our attention is imperative if we are to spot temptations and the works of the evil one that we can inadvertently fall into. Learning to notice everything is important; our ability to do this comes with prayer and with practice!
** There are other instances of this same lesson such as the rich young man who was not yet ready to follow Jesus, (Matthew 19:16-30 or Mark 10:17-31), or the apostles failed attempts at driving out demons, (Matthew 17:14-20; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43). They were simply not yet ready because their faith needed to grow through the process of prayer.

Images:
1. My photo; in the Austrian Alps.
2. Image; The Galilean Jesus, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you want to, you can purchase a copy of this in one of many mediums at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-galilean-jesus-266-william-hart-mcnichols.html.
3. Fresco painting; The Last Judgment, Giotto di Bondone. This is the culmination on the wall of frescoes in the Scrovegni chapel, Padua, Italy. (In the public domain.)
4. My photo; path on the Pienza Loop, Tuscany, Italy.
5. My photo; main plaza in Pienza, Tuscany, Italy.
6. My photo; at the St. Lawrence River, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

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