It is taught that to hear God’s voice, we need to listen. But what does that mean?

We hear from 1 Kings 19:12: “After the fire came the sound of a low whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

I think about the busy world, the everyday actions and routines. I think about the unending sound from phones, tablets, radios, TVs, and computers. One day, I decided to see how many moments of silence I encountered in a typical day. I don’t remember what I finally observed, but it was much less than I thought. And I like silence.

Everyone has a different mix of what goes on in their daily lives, but we can’t “hear” God if we are constantly bombarding our senses with noise and distractions.

This made me think of my Adoration visits (and this happens when I arrive early at Mass). When the monstrance with Jesus is placed on the Altar, there is complete silence. It is soothing and calming as if every anxiety is being lifted off my shoulders. This also has to do with being in God’s presence as well.

At home, when I do have those moments of silence, I do “hear” something. It’s not from my ears. It is not a collection of words or messages. It is just a prompt, an idea, coming from inside. It is so subtle. So soft, that if you are distracted, you miss is completely. It is a fleeting thought. You either embrace the prompt – or let it pass.

There are so many instances little daily decisions I made based on these promptings had improved my day. They’re so “tiny” that remembering them is difficult – but I don’t forget the consequences of those decisions.

We all can “hear” him in this way, once we let the silence in.