Last week, when Dcn. Stephen invited me to preach today, I said, “Yes.” Not realizing today is September 2. Four years ago this morning, my wife, JoAnn, died and I held her hand until the undertakers came and took her away.

I know that I am not the only one here who has suffered the loss of a spouse or someone we hold close to our hearts nor is death the only type of suffering that we experience. For each of us, I offer these words from Sr. Joyce Rupp’s book, Praying Our Goodbyes.

“We may be harshly bruised by life’s farewells, but it is possible to be healed. We can become whole again. I believe that if we are willing to move inside the heart of the experience, to live patiently through the process even as we acknowledge the difficult, painful emotions, that we can experience the wonder of spiritual growth and the marvel of new depths of faith in our relationship with God and others.

“it is possible to be healed. We can become whole again.”

The key point is whose voice do we listen to? Do we listen to a voice that will increase or decrease our suffering? Do we listen to a culture that says to ease our suffering we must avoid or deny it, over-medicate or over-work it, seek as much diversion in pleasure and entertainment and, avoid suffering at all costs? Those voices will only increase our suffering.

Our suffering will increase or decrease depending on the voice we listen to. In our second reading today from Paul’s letter to the Romans we heard:

“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect”.

For our minds to be transformed, we have to close them to the negative influences of the world and open our hearts and minds to God.

St. Ignatius of Loyola helps to to greater clarity by defining the sources of the voices we listen to as the enemy or the good Spirit.

Do we listen to the enemy – Satan, his demons and evil spirits, the fallen world, or the flesh – our concupiscence, our tendency to sin that remains after our baptism.

Or do we listen to the good Spirit – God, Jesus, Mary, the angels, the apostles, and the saints?Who we listen to will make a big difference.

Jeremiah, from our first reading today, is experiencing a moment of desolation and letting God know about his frustration. The voices he has been listening to has been a constant drum beat for years: “All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.” He feels duped or tricked by God. He no longer wants to go on, no longer wants to speak, he has had enough, yet God’s word “becomes like a fire burning” in his heart. “Imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.” It is in this surrender to God that Jeremiah will find his consolation. Not from his friends and family, not from his enemies, not from his nation, or the temple, but from God who he allowed himself to be duped by so many years before.

We see an even drastic distinction in Peter at breakneck speed. Last week Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am” and Peter responded, “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus affirmed Peter by stating that, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”

And then only a few verses later, this week, Jesus rebukes Peter:

“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

In the first instance, Peter is listening to the good Spirit and in the second the enemy. Peter cannot conceive that Jesus who he just acknowledged as the Christ could suffer and die.

Who do we listen to? The voice of the enemy or the good Spirit?

The enemy whispers to us with the intent to lead us into isolation and separation from God and each other, especially in our times of suffering so that our suffering leads us to experience more desolation and even slip into despair. The enemy tempts us with apparent goods and then condemns us when we fall.

The good spirit never tempts us, but invites us to experience unity, connection, expansion, freedom, consolation, peace, joy, and love. God always gently leads us. Even when he convicts us of our sin, and when we are willing to repent, forgives us. In our times of suffering, God is our hope that in our trusting in him, he will bring about a greater good.

To better discern between these two voices and experience more consolation, peace, joy, and love in the midst of and through your times of suffering, I invite you to schedule a daily time to stop, breathe slowly, rest and let go, trust in Jesus, receive and abide in his love. If this is something new to you, I would recommend beginning with 5-10 minutes.

It is in this place of quiet that we can begin to better discern. The enemy wants to keep us going at a frantic pace so we can just react and keep going. The good Spirit invites us to slow down, discern and invites us to let go of the voices of the enemy, better resist reacting and being swayed by them. Their power and influence will subside, and we can then experience and abide in more of God’s love.

Our suffering increases or decreases to the level in which our hearts and minds are open and receptive to the love of God that he wants to share with us. Committing ourselves to a time of meditation and contemplation every day will help us to then carry that pattern throughout the day, so when we recognize the voice of the enemy, we can stop, breathe, rest, receive, and abide in the love of God. Just the act of stopping and breathing will help us tremendously.

This morning, I was praying in this way over the Mass readings for today. About twenty minutes in, I thought of JoAnn and missed holding her hand. I then saw her standing with Mary in my imagination, and she reached out her hand to me. I felt the touch of her hand and held it as I continued to pray for the next twenty minutes.

“It is possible to be healed. We can become whole again.”

I invite you to begin by making time daily to pray and sit with Jesus and show up. You may not feel like anything is happening, but as Mary shared with me, “When you show up, God happens.”

The enemy will give and may have already started giving you some reasons not to stop and be still, resist and renounce those lies. Turn to the words of Mother Teresa instead, “God speaks in the silence of the heart.”

God loves you.

Any lie the comes up to counter what I just said, reject it in the name of Jesus. He has sent his Son to be with you, walk with, and accompany you. Jesus will be made present again on this altar in a few minutes, we will not only witness this miracle during the consecration but receive him in person here or spiritually as you watch online. Once you have received him, spend some quiet time with and listen to him. Right now.

Open your minds and hearts to breathe, rest, receive, and abide in his love and keep doing so each day going forward and you will recognize the voice that will guide you through your suffering into healing and wholeness and you will be able to help others do the same.

Photo: I can experience sadness if I listen to the voices that say you are no longer here or I can let you go, and remember the blessing of our time together and experience you as you are now.

This is the written version of my homily delivered today.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, September 3, 2023