Farmer of Hearts - How Not to Miss God’s Voice

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!” But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard f...

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) The darkest moments in our lives are often when we can no longer hear God’s voice or feel His presence. When we feel that God has seemingly left us and no longer cares for us, that feeling is deeply unsettling. When our faith is put to severe test, God may at times appear extremely distant—so much so that He seems entirely absent. When Je...

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34) What does it really mean to love others “just as Jesus has loved us”? Jesus did not simply issue this command from on high; He personally demonstrated it for us. He humbled Himself, took off His outer garment, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed the dust from...

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21) Yesterday we talked about the urgency of learning to listen to God’s voic...

“We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4) Perhaps, as you look back on your life right now, everything appears to be going smoothly. You may not sense an urgent need or desire to listen for God’s voice. After all, you are doing well: you keep the Ten Commandments, attend Mass, and fulfill the basic duties of a Catholic. So wh...

“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” (Revelation 3:20) Very often, the greatest problem we encounter in spiritual communication is falling into the trap of “one-way communication.” When we are overly self-centred in our communication with others, we neglect their needs and feelings. Similarly...

“But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) If we truly desire not to miss God’s voice and not to let His words return to Him empty, we must first establish a clear and open channel of communication with Him. Secondly, His words must have a tangible impact on our lives. If either of these conditions is lacking—or if both are absent—then God’s words will not be...

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7) Yesterday, we learned to be like Jesus, taking the will of the Father as our true “food”—moving from verbal response to concrete and obedient actions, as...

“‘I have food to eat of which you do not know.’ … ‘My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.’” (John 4:32, 34) In this retreat journey, we have been learning together how to tune our hearts to God’s channel—allowing hardened paths to be softened, turning back from the state of the prodigal son who has drifted away from God, and imitating Mary of Bethany and St. Franc...

Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prost...

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) We have now come to a crucial turning point. Over the past few days, we have reflected on the “Parable of the Sower,” particularly the hardened path that was trampled underfoot. It represents how, through indiffere...

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.” (Luke 15:11-13) Over the past two days, we have reflected on the wors...

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Yesterday we examined the path that has been trampled hard—it symbolizes a hardened heart. Because of unconfessed sin, neglect...

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.” (Matthew 13:19) Yesterday, we reflected on the “rocky ground” and noted that when we hear Jesus speaking, our natural response should be one of excitement and joy. But this raises a very serious question: what if I don’t feel exc...

“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.” (Matthew 13:20–21) Yesterday, we spoke about the “thorns” of worry. In addition to worry, the lure of riches and the attraction...

“The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.” (Matthew 13:22) Over the past few days, we have spent considerable time reflecting on the problem of “pride” as a thick wall that blocks us from hearing God’s voice. Today, we turn our attention to another major obstacle. It is not a wall, but a loud and...

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave……” (Philippians 2:5-7) Yesterday, we explored several practical ways to cultivate the habit of listening and to dismantle the walls built by our self-centeredness. Today, we need to go even deepe...

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. (James 1:19) Over the past few days, we have spent considerable time reflecting on the theme of “pride”. This extended focus is not without reason. At its core, pride is essentially a “refusal to listen” to anything outside of oneself. It builds thick walls within our hearts, shutting out the voice...

“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Yesterday we reflected on the need to come down from the mountain of our pride, to walk into the valley of humility, and to place ourselves in the lowest position in relation to God. Yet as you ponder this idea in your heart, a very natural question may arise: “Do I really need to go...

“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) Over the past few days, we have been emphasizing the vital importance of placing ourselves at the absolute lowest point in order to receive God’s voice and His wisdom. Yet, as we often discover in our spiritual journey, this is much easier said than done. It is incredibly easy to accept th...

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) Over the past few days, we have reflected together on repentance, a contrite heart, humility, and facing pride. Today, we go deeper into the attitude of pride. Pride not only hur...

“We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Yesterday, we encountered the joyful obedience of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) Through humility, we learned...

“The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:29-30) Yesterday, we reflected on the importance of a contrite and broken heart for hearing the voice of God. We saw how true repentance acts like a hammer that shatters the hardened walls of our pride, allow...

“The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Yesterday, we came to understand that a repentant heart can remove the obstacles between us and God. Today, we want to explore more deeply the nature of this heart. The Psalmist tells us that God does not merely desire external sacrifices; what He truly longs for is a “brok...

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Yesterday, we reflected on the need for a pure and undivided heart in order to see and hear God. But when we fall, how can we restore that purity? At the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, He revealed to us the most important key, and said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is a...