Martin Madalai Muthu csc –
Readings: Job 38: 1, 12-21, 40: 3-5; Lk 10: 13-16
In the book of Job, we see the Lord speaking to Job from the whirlwind and he invites Job to consider the marvels of creation.
In the Gospel of the day, we see Jesus being upset with Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their stubbornness and refusal to listen to Jesus’ call to repentance. They neither recognized him nor understood the purpose of his miracles. To understand God we need to listen to him carefully with our whole being. Jesus warns them that if they continue to be stubborn and refuse to listen to his call to repentance, they will be judged more severely than Tyre and Sidon.
Today Jesus also warns us that if we do not listen to him who is the author of our life and act according to his will, we will have to face the consequences that await us on the Day of Judgment. As Jesus expressed in the Gospel we need to remember that failing or refusing to listen to the voice of God is failing or refusing to accept and believe in him who is the source of everything. As a result, our lives become meaningless and disconnected from him.
Let us examine ourselves with the following questions: do we listen to the inner voice of God and obey his word? To whom do we listen and obey most? Is it God or the World? God has given us two ears and one mouth so that we should listen more than we speak. God invites us to listen to his voice speaking to us every day. In the words of St. Jerome whose memorial is today, we realize that we listen to God when we read the Bible. “When we pray we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us”. “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. – St. Jerome.