Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Whenever I am meeting people for the first time, I like to have a way to identify them. I might try to find a photo, or ask if they’ll have distinctive outfit on. Without that, the person could be right next to me, perhaps even waving me down, and I would miss them. This is especially true in a crowd. I need some distinctive way to tell that person apart from everyone else in the room.
Jesus promises that His followers will always have a distinctive way to tell Him apart from anyone else: His voice. He even promises that when His followers hear a stranger’s voice, “they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers” (Jn. 10:5). Of course, this presumes we actually know what Jesus sounds like.
How often do we listen for the voice of Jesus? How often do we spend time in prayer, or reading the Scriptures, or going to Mass? These things are not optional add-ons to the Christian life, but necessary elements. If we do not ever listen for the voice of Jesus, we will not know what it sounds like. We may even run away in fear, mistaking Jesus’ voice for a stranger’s. Take regular time to listen for the voice of Jesus, so that you may follow Him through life.