Readiness to Listen and Respond to the Voice of God
My God, I intend … to be ever ready to listen to your voice and your inspiration, calling me to whatever state of life you desire, to whatever renewal of spirit, detachment, suffering, humiliation and shame. (OOCC, X, p. 202; STA, 316)
God’s call comes in a person’s life in a number of ways. One important attitude he needs to have in order to recognize God calling him through the diverse situations of his existence, is the readiness to listen and respond to the voice of God. First, the person must listen to God speaking to him through the given situation. Unless he listens and discovers the will of God, he cannot respond to God’s plan. Thus, listening and responding to God goes together in the spiritual journey of a Christian. St. Vincent Pallotti, recognizing the value of this attitude of listening and responding to God, made a conscious effort to be alert and sensitive to the inspirations that came from God in his daily life. His intention and alertness to seek God’s will and to discover God’s plan for him, helped him to not only find the will and plan of God in every situation, but also to respond to the changes that needed to be made for his spiritual progress as per the inspiration of God. Allowing this attitude to guide him, St. Vincent not only made considerable progress in his journey towards God, but he also accomplished God’s will in the area of the apostolate.
Do I recognize that God’s call comes to me through the various events and situations that happen in my life? Have I cultivated the attitude of listening and responding to the inspirations of God? What impact has this attitude made in both my spiritual journey and the apostolate?
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. (I Sam. 3: 9)