Opening My Eyes and Ears

Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge: If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts (Ps 94[95]:8). RB80.Prol.9-10

Today's invitation is to open my eyes and my ears to God and God's grace in my life. It is an call to be alert and aware of what is happening both around me and within me.

Since I am an extreme extrovert, I find it easy to focus on what is going on in my environment. I get energized and engaged looking at all the pretty shiny things that are occurring around me--sights, sounds, movement, swirls of activity quickly grab my attention...until the next distraction comes by.

Part of today's proposal is to pay attention to the stirrings within me. That is something that I can easily ignore since I am busy with all the activity outside. It is in looking within, though, that I find God speaking in the depths of my heart. It is by going within rather that outward that I discover who I am called to be and where my strength and value lies.

This journey within does not seem as glamourous and exciting. Actually, it seems terrifying, at times, since I don't really know what I will find or if I will like who I am after the experience. That is where the challenge and the adventure are. When I can see this scary exploration as a new adventure I can focus on the new information that is unearthed and see it as growth both as a person and in my relationships. This reframing of the experience makes it more palatable to me since I am always looking for new experiences in life.

Psalm 95 invites me to open my ears and my heart to the voice of God within my life. What new adventure is God calling me to at this moment? May I have the courage to accept the challenge offered to me today.

Sr. Catherine, OSB