Sometimes I talk entirely too much. And don’t you judge me. So do you.
The other day I went to the adoration chapel. I opened the chapel door, entered the quiet sanctuary of God’s presence, and knelt before Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, allowing His peace and love to fill and quiet my busy mind and heart.
And then I started running my mouth. Prayers began shooting toward Heaven like speeding bullets.
“God, please help her. Help him. Could you fix this? I need your guidance on that. Hail Mary. Our Father. Glory be…John needs healing. How can I witness to Brittany? I’m losing hope about the future. Hail Mary. Our Father. Glory be…I’m tired. I’m stressed. I’m lonely. My sisters need Your peace. My friends need to see Your mercy, Your Goodness, Your Truth and Beauty. Hail Mary. Our Father. Glory Be…God, what do you want me to do about this? How do you want me to handle that? What do you want from me and my life? Hail Mary. Our Father. Glory Be…Heavenly Father, what is Your will for me?!”
I would like to hope that I’m not alone in having had an experience like this in prayer. And how silly am I? What God has to say to me is infinitely more important than anything I have to say! How will I know how to follow His will in my life if I don’t let Him get a word in edge-wise to tell me?
The saints were tremendous listeners. That’s what led to their sanctity. You can’t hear God when you are doing all the talking.
Some of the most beautiful saints weren’t necessarily the greatest thinkers and doers, but the saints are always the best be-ers. The saints know how to listen. When they listen, God speaks to their hearts and miraculous things happen: they become saints.
I need to learn to listen better. It’s necessary.
