Good afternoon parish families and friends,
In today's first reading God instructs Elijah to meet Him on the mountain (1 Kgs 19: 9-13). God could have presented Himself to Elijah in a sensational way through fire, an earthquake, or a storm. Instead, He presents Himself in the simple whispering of the wind.
In a world that is pretty noisy all around us, it can sometimes be hard to realize the presence of God in our lives. The question we need to ask ourselves is: "How will I ever be able to hear God amidst all of the distractions?" The answer is to be able to take time away from all of the noise and clutter.
Another way to to listen for God's whisper is through the voice of a friend or family member who is trying to give us an important message. Just as Elijah was open to God's voice, we are called to listen to God's voice speaking through others. Let us try to be like Elijah today and tune out the things that do not pertain to God (i.e. gossip, jealousy, pride, etc.) and tune into the things that pertain to God (Love).
I wanted to use these last few lines today to thank you for allowing me to write to you over these past three months. You have inspired me with your comments and helped me to grow as a priest. I look forward to seeing you soon at Church and along the path of life.
God bless......Fr. Pat