Scripture:
Reflection:
“But a second time a voice from heaven answered, ‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ This happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into the sky”
Every time I read this passage from the Acts of the Apostles, I am reminded of a series of annual performance appraisals that I had during my career at a large industrial manufacturing company. I had worked for a fellow who was conducting the reviews for many years. Suddenly, one year after giving me good feedback on almost every aspect of the past year’s performance, he paused and added a comment that caught me completely off guard. He told me, “You do not listen very well.” I was stunned. With thirty years of career experience and as many annual performance reviews, no one had ever told me that I was not a good listener. I was bewildered, confused and actually a bit frustrated in trying to figure out what that meant. We chatted about the issue on and off for a while as I tried to figure it out. But as in today’s first reading, the same comment was made in three successive review periods.
Over the years after my retirement from the same corporation, when reflecting back on my career, I only remember bits and pieces of the many appraisals that I had. However, the statement that was made about my listening deficiency resonated with me continuously and I am convinced that it changed my life.
Yesterday was Good Shepherd Sunday. In today’s gospel with the same theme Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and calls them by name. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. “The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.”
Now in the twilight of my years, I question myself about how well I am listening to God’s voice. Those performance appraisals so many years ago resonate with me every day. How do I hear God’s voice speaking to me? Do I hear him in my prayer life? Do I hear him through family and friends who converse about their own daily joys and struggles? Do I hear him through the poor and the homeless and the needy and the migrants? Do I hear him through the awareness of those caught up in human trafficking? Do I hear him through our Passionist family? Do I hear him in our daily scripture readings? Do I hear him through the miracles that he works in our lives every day. Do I hear him with a wandering mind when I am falling asleep at night? Do I follow the shepherd’s voice as an obedient sheep even if it brings me to the foot of the cross through my own daily struggles? Am I really listening?
I wonder if Jesus sat with me today for my annual review, would he still tell me that, “You do not listen very well”? Dear Lord, as my Good Shepherd, I recognize your voice and that you give me innumerable opportunities to listen to it. Please help me always to be a good listener.
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!
Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family. Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.