""My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me."

Have you ever wished God would simply make things obvious? A clear answer. A definite sign. A voice from heaven saying, "This is the right way." It would certainly make life easier. Instead, we are often left wondering. Should I take this opportunity? Should I let go of an old hurt? Is God asking something of me, or am I simply following my own ideas? Most of us have asked questions like these.

The surprising thing is that God rarely shouts. Throughout the Bible there are dramatic moments. Moses encounters the burning bush. Saul is struck to the ground on the road to Damascus. The angel Gabriel appears to Mary. But these moments are the exception, not the rule. Far more often, God speaks quietly. The prophet Elijah discovered this on Mount Horeb. A mighty wind swept across the mountain. Then came an earthquake. Then fire.

Yet the Lord was in none of them. Only afterwards came what the Scriptures describe as "a light sound of silence" 1 Kings 19:12

God had not been absent. He had simply spoken in a way that required Elijah to listen.

Perhaps the same is true for us. Our lives are full of voices. News bulletins. Social media. Podcasts. Television. Advice from well-meaning friends. Our own worries and fears. Sometimes there is so much noise around us that we can no longer hear the quiet voice that matters most. Yet Christ assures us,

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me." John 10:27

How, then, does he speak? He speaks through Sacred Scripture, where his words continue to challenge, comfort and encourage us. He speaks through the teaching of his Church, faithfully handed on from the Apostles. He speaks through the quiet prompting of a well-formed conscience that urges us towards truth and away from sin. He sometimes speaks through the wisdom of another person whose words arrive at just the right moment. He speaks through the circumstances of our lives, opening some doors and gently closing others. Above all, he speaks through prayer, where we gradually learn not only to speak to God, but to listen. That takes patience.

We recognise the voice of someone we love because we have spent time with them. The same is true of Christ. The more faithfully we pray, the more familiar his voice becomes. Not because every decision suddenly becomes easy. But because we begin to recognise the qualities of his voice.

He never leads us towards hatred. He never encourages pride. He never asks us to abandon truth for convenience. His voice always calls us towards love, humility, forgiveness and hope. Perhaps that is why listening is as important as speaking. Many of us spend our prayers telling God what we think. There is nothing wrong with that.

He invites us to bring every joy and every burden before him. But every friendship also needs moments of quiet. Not awkward silence. Comfortable silence. The kind of silence in which trust grows. Perhaps that is where God's voice is most often heard. Not in dramatic signs. Not in extraordinary experiences. But in the quiet confidence that comes from walking each day with Christ.

For the Good Shepherd has never stopped speaking. The question is whether we are making time to listen.

A Moment for Reflection

When during your day do you allow yourself to be truly quiet? What voices compete most strongly for your attention? How might you create a little more space to listen for Christ this week?

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You are the Good Shepherd who knows each of your sheep by name.
Help me to recognise your voice amid the noise of daily life.
Give me a listening heart, a discerning mind and the courage to follow wherever you lead.
Keep me faithful to your Word, your Church and your truth.
Amen.

Walking with Christ This Week
Choose one moment each day to switch everything off.
No phone. No television. No distractions.
Simply sit quietly in God's presence for five minutes.
Ask the Lord only one question:

"Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening."

Then leave the silence in his hands.

By Johannes
A Lay Voice at Saint Charles Borromeo

Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB), Study Edition.