If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
One of the beautiful prayer responsibilities of every ordained minister of the Church is praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Composed largely of psalms from the Hebrew Scriptures together with readings and intercessory prayers for the people of God, morning, noon and night are sanctified by the lifting up of our voices in praise and thanks to the God from whom all blessings flow.
Traditionally, the Hours begin with the praying of Psalm 95 with its refrain, If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. In the ever-increasing cacophony of daily life, how difficult it is for all of us – unless you’re perhaps a Trappist monk – to discern the voice of God in the rhythms of daily existence. Many struggle with the persistent wrestling as we wonder Is God truly listening to our prayers? Is anyone out there!
No wonder then that we begin each day of praying that our hearts not be hardened but rather supple and open to hearing the Lord, no matter how subtle and quiet that voice may be, in the course of our daily existence.
Often, that ‘voice’ comes to us in the serendipitous moments that can surprise us with joy – the unexpected call from a long-lost friend, the moments of reconciliation and healing or just the sheer beauty of nature as we witness a sunset, or a child’s smile or simply a hug from a friend.
So often, in our obsession with expecting some earth-shaking pronouncement from the Lord, we often miss his voice speaking in the countless moments of simplicity that make-up our day.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.