Learning to be Quick to Listen

The allure of political figures, their promises, and their perceived power can be intoxicating. It's easy to project our hopes, dreams, and aspirations onto them, believing they hold the key to a better future. However, this misplaced trust, rooted in a secular worldview, often leads to disappointment and despair. The Bible, the timeless word of God, offers a stark contrast to this worldly perspective. It warns against placing our trust in human beings, no matter how influential or powerful they may seem. Psalm  146:3-4 reminds us, "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the  earth; on that very day their plans perish."   The Catholic Catechism echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that true hope is found in God alone. It states, "Christian hope is a theological virtue. It is the confident assurance of the faithful that God keeps his promises." This hope is not based on human potential but on ...

In his Angelus reflection on the Sunday Gospel, Pope Francis focused on two actions of the rich young man who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. First, the Pope said, the young man runs to Jesus, but afterwards, he goes away. The Holy Father noted the unnamed man initially went “running” to Jesus, urged on, the Pope said, by dissatisfaction or restlessness, despite his wealth. “He is searching for a fuller life,” the Pope said, as is often the case with those who have many riches. Jesus, for His part, looks on the man with love, and invites him to sell everything he has, give it to the poor, and follow Him. “But at this point comes an unexpected conclusion,” the Pope noted: “The man becomes sad and goes away. How great and impetuous was his desire to meet Jesus; and how cold and swift his departure from Him!” Pope Francis said that we, too, are looking for a life of happiness and meaning, but that, like the rich young man, we too often imagine that material goods and ...