Getting our Priorities right begins by listening more, so we can hear the Truth to bring us joy and create beauty together
Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 25, 2025
To evangelise people is to help them find true peace: and that means they will have found God. Pope Benedict XVI said there are three key things that evangelise people: joy, beauty, Truth. Unfortunately, today, many people feel hurt by their Church or the religious upbringing they experienced.
Perhaps they feel betrayed by the scandalous behaviour of some priests.
Perhaps they see too much hypocrisy. Perhaps they are disillusioned by their parents?
Perhaps they are tired of priests and Bishops crying out for money, money, money.
Perhaps they feel God is far away, despite their faithful presence in the Church.
Finally, perhaps our Church leaders are not listening or not communicating effectively? The First Reading is a great reminder how the early Church listened to people and made people feel welcome despite their different cultural demands.
So, whether we are in a family church, the local Church or the Diocese, are we good listeners? As parents, do we listen to our children enough: are we present and encourage conversations? Are older parents listening to their grown up children? As the world changes, our children often know more than us older people about administration, and what is best for the future.
As priests, do we facilitate and make it easy for parish members to speak to the issues that trouble them or parish issues? As Bishops, do they demand information from the priests? And do they follow up with personal meetings with ordinary people in the parishes?
As ordinary people, do we listen to our friends enough? As Religious men and women, do we listen to each other enough? Are we faithful to community gathering times? It seems that our world leaders, also, need to listen to each other more deeply and try to avoid war & bloodshed.
It is only by listening frequently that we can uncover the real-truth: a truth that can set us free to live a better life, because we understand and respect each other more.
The world is continuously changing, our families are continuously changing. Sometimes the Truth gets buried under a lot of small traditions that are useful for a given time: we need to keep evolving as children grow older, or local events change the needs/ focus of our Church.
In the Gospel we hear Jesus telling us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe.”
We are often afraid of change, so Jesus reminds us: do not be afraid. The leaving and returning of Jesus is not an end of life event, but an event that happens many times in our lives: when God feels far away, don’t blame God but ask ourselves where have I failed to evolve?
Administration matters are important, but they must not become the most important part of life, otherwise we lose the joy we find through our shared life: with family, with friends, with our parish community.
When it comes to beauty we must, first of all, recognise the beauty within each one of us. And we should express that beauty by our words of affirmation, praise and gratitude.
Next, the external beauty we like to create (eg. buildings), can only be a beauty that evangelises if we create the beauty together: ie. listen to, and incorporate the ideas of, many and involve as many as possible, rather than the creative genius of only one or two.
As we work together to appreciate the beauty of each other and create beauty together for our community, then we are able to receive what Jesus promises us: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
Too long to include today, I invite you to reflect on this inspiring story of generosity, and how it always come back to help ourselves. https://www.speakingtree.in/article/stories-of-sharing-and-spreading-joy
May we be good listeners so that we may continuously uncover the deeper Truth that leads us to beauty and joy.
By Gerard Conlan, OMI
