Praying to listen

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Third Week of Easter, 27 April 2023
Acts 8:26-40   ><))))*> + ><))))*> + <))))*>   John 6:44-51
Photo by Irina Anastasiu on Pexels.com.
Lord Jesus Christ,
teach us to listen more
intently to you speaking to us
in the most unusual manner,
often when we least expected
like in the story of Philip and
the Ethiopian eunuch.

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch… who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with the chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.

Acts 8:27, 29-31
What a wonderful
and amusing passage of how
it happened!  But that is
beside the point because 
that's the way it is with you,
Lord Jesus and your Holy Spirit 
working in most extraordinary
ways; what matters is first of all
Philip showing us the importance
of listening and obeying your
promptings no matter how
difficult or funny it may be!
Listening to you, Lord, 
means listening to others, too!
Teach us to see this important
relationship of listening to your
voice in our human voice.
Many times, we are afraid to 
obey you because we doubt
your voice jibes with the human 
voice.  Give us courage to express
your words by listening to what
others are saying like Philip when
he asked the eunuch if he understood
what he was reading.
Likewise,
keep us attuned with your words
and teachings, Lord so that when 
people ask us to explain things for them,
we would always be ready like Philip
to confirm your voice others hear.
When we know and appreciate
these dynamics of listening,
then it becomes so true that 
"No one can come to me unless
the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day"
(John 6:44).  Amen.

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