March 2000

The evangelist Mark, and also Matthew and Luke, recount the fact that one day Jesus took aside Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain. At a certain moment an extraordinary event took place. Before their very eyes Jesus was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white and Moses and Elijah appeared, in conversation with him. Then a cloud came and overshadowed the apostles, and out of the cloud a voice, the voice of the heavenly Father, addressed them with these words:

«This is my son, my beloved. Listen to him!»

That same mysterious voice was heard at the beginning of Jesus' mission, at his baptism in the Jordan: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased'' (Lk. 3:21-22; Mk. 1:9-11; Mt. 3:13-17).
This time the Father is addressing the disciples of Jesus, and all of us too, inviting us to listen to his Son. Thus the key word for this month is: listen.
When did the Son speak? Where can we find his Word? In the Gospels. Let's open them and read them with love. The Gospel is the Word of Jesus.
But he speaks to us in other ways as well.
How can we recognize his voice? How can we distinguish it from among many others and tune ourselves in to its wavelength?
He speaks to our soul in one special moment: in prayer, and the more we seek to love God present in our heart, the more his voice makes itself heard, the more it guides us from the deepest part of our being.
Also every encounter of our day can be an opportunity to listen if in all our contacts with others we try to be like a silence of love which fully receives the other person, whoever he or she may be, because – and Jesus revealed this to us (cf. Mt. 25:40) – he himself is hidden in every human being.

How different our relationships would be if we did more to cultivate this rare quality of listening, which at times is the only way to show our attention towards those near us, even strangers!
This is the point: the best way to prepare ourselves to listen to the voice of God is to actually listen to our brothers and sisters.

«This is my son, my beloved. Listen to him!»

The voice of Jesus has an unmistakable tone, it is loud and clear when he is present among us through our mutual love. His presence among two or more persons united in his name (cf. Mt. 18:20) is like a loudspeaker of the voice of God in our heart.
And so it will be easier to hear it because we will be more in tune to his thoughts, to his teachings.

Moreover, in Luke's Gospel we find a phrase in which Jesus speaks of listening to those he sends: “Whoever listens to you listens to me” (Lk. 10:16). They were the 72 disciples. Today in the Catholic Church this phrase refers to those who have been entrusted in a special way with his message: his ministers, who proclaim the Word of God.
But there are also “witnesses” of Jesus who, by listening to his Word and putting it into practice in the most radical way, make it resound again throughout the world and open people's hearts to it.
Thus, this one voice of Jesus is addressed to us in many ways: in the innermost part of our heart and from the lips of brothers and sisters, from the pulpit of a church, from the pages of his Gospel or in the charisms of “witnesses”.
The Word of Life for this month will help us to listen – and to live – what Jesus wants to tell us.

Chiara Lubich