The Ear of My Heart

In the Prologue of his Rule,
St. Benedict speaks of this.

I have read and reread it,

pondering, ruminating over it,

and asking for an understanding heart

of what it means in my life.

How do I listen with the ear of my heart?

Have you ever noticed when you pray for another

person how helpful it is to look at their face
because you can read what's in their heart better?
That's the same with the Lord.

Somehow we need to come face to face with Christ.
I once heard this: "Face means person. We need His Face
with our face because His face opens us to understand
His heart." I thought "Wow!" and did some more ruminating.

What I have heard time and time again

before the Eucharistic Face of Jesus

are the two great commandments:

"You shall love the Lord your God

with your whole heart,

with your whole soul,

and with all your mind." Mt 22: 37  Mk 12:30

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mt 22: 38

Our hearts are a place of love,

and when we are asked to listen

with the "ear of our hearts" we are being asked

to have a heart of self-giving love. 

"One can not find God

through the senses or intelligence,"

said a wise priest to me once;...

"even Moses in taking off his sandals

represented the taking off of

his senses and intelligence"

...and he continued,

"Joseph after hearing that Mary was with child

suspended these qualities as well."

"If we follow this instruction of St. Benedict,"

the wise one continued--

listening with the ear of the heart,

"we will be configured to the heart of Christ."

O glory, isn't that what we want?

image by Wes Allen

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends
and those who turn to him in their hearts.  Ps 85: 8

Lord, teach me to listen with the ear of my heart.*

*image found on: www.TheEarsofYourHeart,com 

Pregnant Pause

I have taken a pregnant pause.

It has been Holy Week and such a perfect time to pause in silence anyway.

My beloved and precious sister, Linda--my younger Irish twin (eleven months apart)--passed away last Friday morning in her sleep as she desired. She had been terminally ill for a long while.

Even though we, her family, (she was one of eight siblings) knew her death was imminent, we're still experiencing a profound sense of loss.


Linda in the middle. I'm on the right. My older Irish twin, Cathy, on the left.

The good news is that God's promises are true. His peace is flowing like a river and He is flooding us with His love. Our hearts are wide open to receive all that He wants to bestow in this very holy time.

God bless all of you with His peace too.