Listen to the Quiet


From the Gospel of John 10:27-30
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”


Alright, let’s settle in for a moment, just you brothers, me, and the Holy Spirit, finding a quiet moment to listen, to really hear God’s voice, like we’ve been talking about for years on the prayer line. 


Picture this: you’re sitting somewhere peaceful, maybe a cozy corner of your house, or out in nature, where the world’s noise just fades away. The Bible, it’s got wisdom for us. Like what we just read in John 10:27-30, Jesus says He’s the Good Shepherd, and His sheep, us, we hear His voice, we follow, and He’s got us safe, promising eternal life. 


That’s the Gospel, tying into Acts 13, where Paul and Barnabas are calling everyone to listen, and also Revelation 7, with all nations following the Lamb to life-giving water. 


It’s all about tuning in to that voice, God’s voice, leading us home. 


But how do we hear Him, really hear Him? Scripture’s got our back here. Think of 1 Kings 19:11-13, where Elijah’s waiting for God. It’s not the wind, not the earthquake, not the fire-it’s this gentle whisper. God’s speaking in the quiet, so we gotta find that still place. Psalm 46:10 backs this up, saying, Be still, and know that I am God. And Jesus? He knew it too. Mark 1:35 shows Him slipping away to a deserted place to pray, just Him and the Father. 


That’s our cue, you know? Carve out a quiet spot, away from the chaos, and open God’s Word. It’s alive. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us it’s God-breathed, teaching us, guiding us, equipping us to hear Him. 


So grab your Bible, flip it open, maybe to those passages we mentioned, and read slow. Let the words sink in. Ask God to speak, to show you His heart. It’s like sitting with a friend, listening close, trusting He’s got something to say just for you. Maybe you’ll feel peace, or a nudge, or clarity about something weighing on you. That’s Him, whispering in the stillness. 


Yesterday, I saw this truth come alive. I woke up on time, made it to Mass, and served as sacristan, stirred by that same Gospel from John 10:27-30 and the readings from Acts 13 and Revelation 7, all about hearing God’s voice and following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to eternal life. 


Driving home, I reflected on how staying focused on God’s Word helps me hear Him clearly. But errands brought distractions-running into a former coworker at the hardware store, then another with his family at the grocery store. 


Those moments took me back to the past four months since reentering the workforce in January 2025, after retiring in May 2024. That decision pulled me away from the gift God gave me: peace, quiet, and serenity. Seeing those former colleagues yesterday, I realized the distraction was chasing world nonsense instead of God’s Word. Now, I see His gift of peace again, offered fresh. By listening to Jesus’ voice, reading His Word, and pursuing the calm and quiet He provides, I can accept this gift, stay focused on the path of the Shepherd, and grow stronger in faith, free from the pull of old distractions.


Amen. 

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