did you hear that?

"They may hear and listen, but not understand" (Mark 4:12).

What does the voice of God sound like? When He talks to us, do we hear Him?

Our Creator blessed most of us with the ability to perceive sound—what a beautiful instrument we have to receive His Word. But hearing is only a physical device which means nothing at all, if we don't allow His messages to resound in our hearts. We must welcome the sounds of God, for our ability to hear becomes an even greater gift when we use it to accept with faith the words of His Son, "Whoever has ears ought to hear."

One of our parish Sunday Holy Masses is signed for the hearing impaired. It provides the deaf an opportunity to participate in the Mass and to "hear" the scripture readings of the day. The deaf may not be able to detect sound, but they are just as capable of receiving and understanding God's Word as a hearing person. Whether we hear with our ears or through an interpreter, we must first accept Jesus, then ask Him to reveal to us what He did for His Twelve, "The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you" (Mark 4:11).

We all have the same disabilities when it comes to "hearing" God's Word, yet we're all called to enter His Kingdom. In order to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, we must enter and become His disciples, for if we stay outside, everything remains unknown.

Elizabeth