“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 3:15
The refrain from this week’s Psalm comes to us from the Letter to the Hebrews, and it reminds us how we should always be alert to the voice of God because He’s always speaking to us. His voice is all around us. We hear it ringing through his Creation; we hear it when we engage others who are filled with the Holy Spirit or when the Church speaks God’s truth to us. Our hearts then should never be dull or hardened to his voice, especially when his voice may come across as challenging; rather, we allow his voice to touch our hearts, expand our hearts, and change our hearts for the better.
This week, the Church offers a good example of a saint who remained open to the voice and invited this voice to change his heart – Saint John Vianney. This patron saint of priests was faced with many obstacles on his way to the priesthood, obstacles that could make one feel defeated and hardened any hearts, but he overcame and remained faithful to God’s voice. It is said that he struggled with understanding theology and often faced difficulties preparing his homilies. Despite these challenges, John persevered and became a priest who touched the hearts of many through his humble and authentic faith. Yet, the impossible followed him everywhere, testing him at every turn. The voice of God continued to prevail, making his heart each time even more charitable, something that was revealed through his dedication to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. His devotion to this sacrament inspired many to return to their faith and receive God’s forgiveness. For this reason, he’s known as the patron saint of confessors and is a role model for all priests in their duty to shepherd their flock and lead them towards God’s mercy, a model of how an open heart can bring good in one as well as in others.
In Christ
Fr Robert