The Gospel story of the sisters Mary and Martha, one sitting at Jesus' feet and the other making sure their guest was served, is a lesson to Christians that every good deed done for others should flow from listening to God's word, Pope Francis said.
One hot August night in 2005, Melanie Rigney found solace standing awkwardly in the cool vestibule of St. Charles Borromeo Church, the first church she had entered during the 20 years that saw her married, divorced, bankrupt and uprooted from her hometown in Nebraska to Washington.
Young Catholics are looking for a church that listens to their concerns, accompanies them in discerning their vocations and helps them confront the challenges they face, said a working document for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on young people.
“The sense is, just as a leader has to be willing to listen, that all of us have to be willing to also engage in that process of conversation,” Archbishop Hebda said.
There is a story about a couple with marital difficulties who sought help. They were each given a flask with water in it and were told the water would keep them from arguing so much. Thrilled with the idea of the miraculous liquid, the couple asked how it worked. Imagine their surprise when they were told that the “miraculous” water worked because one person puts the liquid in his or her mouth while the other one talks, and the person cannot swallow the water until the other is finished talking. Then they reverse roles.
When I hear a voice of a person I can’t see at the seminary, I sometimes enjoy trying to figure out and guess who the person is. Occasionally, it is easy to figure out. And other times, I must search my memory and wait for a distinct pronunciation or phrase for it to click. Sometimes, I get it wrong, or my initial guess is wrong, but often by listening more, it comes to me.
Last October, I took my 82-year-old mom on a silent retreat. The priest who led the weekend told the following story.
He had been teaching second-graders when the subject of prayer arose and he simply asked, “How do you talk to Jesus?” Hands shot up. The first child called upon said, “First, you have to shut up.”
