Written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100620.cfm
There’s a story told about two friends and a cricket. The friends hadn’t seen each other in some time, so they reunited in a busy city where the one friend lived. The visiting friend lives in a rural area and prays often. As the two friends walk down a very congested sidewalk in the middle of the bustling city, the rural friend stops and says to her city friend, “Wait...do you hear that?” “Hear what?’, says the city friend, ‘Take your pick! There’s a lot of sounds.” “No, no,” says the more contemplative friend, “Do you hear that cricket?”
Now the city friend is totally puzzled. “A cricket?! In this mess of noise? Are you serious?!” The rural friend says, “Come, follow me.” They carefully dash across four lanes of traffic dodging buses, bicyclists and taxis. They stop in front of a hotel outside of which are two large, potted bushes. The rural friend crouches down, parts the bottom branches of the bush, and sure enough, there is a cricket in the soil singing away. The city friend is stunned. “How in the WORLD did you hear that amidst all of this noise?”
The friend stands up and says, “Watch this.” She takes a few coins out of her pocket and drops them on the sidewalk. Instantly everyone within earshot spins around looking at the ground, checking their pockets to see if they had dropped their money. She says to her friend with a wry smile, “We choose to listen to that which we value.”
Today, both scripture readings are about listening. After St. Paul tells us that he persecuted the Jews before his conversion, he says a curious thing, which is, he went to Arabia for 3 years. Only after that time did he finally met with the church leaders in Jerusalem. Although there’s no indication what he did during those 3 years in Arabia, I can’t help but think that Paul spent quality time listening to God, reflecting on his incredible conversion, and asking God to direct his next steps.
Our Gospel is the familiar story of two sisters: Martha the housekeeper who thinks her sister Mary is shirking her domestic responsibilities. Jesus, however, is neither repudiating Martha nor declaring Mary a better person. He’s pointing out that Mary ‘chose the better part’ because, after all, Jesus doesn’t come to their house every day, so Mary is celebrating the gift of Jesus’ presence there. She wanted to enjoy his company and listen to his words.
In our lives, many voices demand our attention. Jesus is calling us to listen to God’s voice above all. None of us can survive spiritually if we don’t also sit at Jesus feet, appreciate his company and listen to his words.
One of the ways we can envelope ourselves in the presence of Our Lord is by praying the rosary. Tomorrow, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, this powerful prayer will be recited here in church each hour beginning at 8:30 am., and all are invited to join.
Like the friend in the story who heard the cricket in the midst of all the noise, God is calling us to learn to listen for his voice among all the many noises of our lives.
