10 minutes wih Jesus are group of Catholic priests who share friendship with Jesus, plus keenness to help young people of all ages to learn the art of loving Jesus and speaking to Him. You can find them in WhatsApp, Spotify, Ivoox, Telegram, Goggle Podcasts and Apple Podcast. Every saturday, we are going to share one meditation by 10 minutes with Jesus. Enjoy it.
My Lord and my God. I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me, I adore you with profound reverence. I ask your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful. My immaculate mother, saint joseph, my father, and Lord my guardian angel, please intercede for me.
Bombarded by noise
My friend, we are constantly being bombarded by noise. This noise comes to us in different ways. Allow me to give you some examples. Here in Canada, we have some huge grocery stores that before you can pay, some of these stores place a whole bunch of stuff that you have to pass through before you get to the cashier and pay. First, the drinks, in case, you are thirsty from pushing the shopping cart then, the potato chips in case, you need a little snack while you wait for the person in front of you.
Then the chocolate bars to give you that little boost of sugar, so that you can make it without dying from hunger before getting home. Let us not forget, the candy and the chewing gum to freshen up your breath. All these things are there on the shelves, quietly sitting there, but at the same time engulfing you you with a clear message.
You need me. You must buy me. The noise of marketing, then there is the noise of social media, which can influence the way we think. It pressures us not only our view in life, but also push events and people on us. When we are exposed to this noise, what we see, and hear can really influence what we do. By the way, social media has even made sweatpants, fashionable during the time of COVID 19.
New York, New York
The New York Times had an article not long ago, focusing on a significant company in the U.S. that increased their sweatpants sales, up to 662 percent over the last few months. How do they pull this off? Well, with a lot of noise through social media. Noise that was heard by many people, convincing them that sweatpants are fashionable, not only for exercise, but for everyday use. We also know about the noise being created at airports or train stations.
Maybe not so much right at this moment, but you know what I mean when I say you must fight this constant noise. Someone had the brilliant idea of inventing noise-cancelling headphones as another example. You put them on and quiet every noise around you. Noise is cancelled and you hear only the things you choose to listen to.
The point I am trying to make is that we are surrounded. We are bombarded by a lot of noise. Noise that comes to us in different forms. The questions we can ask ourselves today, are the following: What am I listening to? Whom am i listening to? I am listening to Jesus? We must realize that there is a lot of noise around us. Noise that tries to influence and manipulate us, even shaping the way we think.
The noise and the reason
However, we know that it has always been this way. There has always been noise for this very reason. Our attitude towards this world, and the noise within, it is not negative. We love the world with its noise. We refuse to flee from it. Since you are unable to flee from it, you embraced it and you become one of us. Sometimes, we may think that the only thing to do is to wear noise-cancelling headphones. In the sense that we need to cancel the world and its noise by pulling away from it.
This might be the path for some people, but not all. The majority of us, dear Lord, want to be light as You when You ascended into heaven. You did not retreat yourself from the world or exclude yourself from everyone, rather You went inside the world. My friend, we can go forward into the world, because in the world with all its noise, we can also hear the noise that comes from God.
This noise from God is different. It is quieter and gentler. It does not impose itself, rather it is the total opposite. We must freely tune in, perhaps the phrase tune in, is somewhat outdated. We used to tune in to our favorite radio station in the past. Now, it is more like subscribing or following our favorite podcast. When we tune in, or when we subscribe or when we follow the noise of God, this provides us with light to live in the world cheerfully, with hope, with an attitude that refuses to be pessimistic or negative.
Mother and relatives
In today’s gospel, on the other hand, we see Jesus surrounded by a great crowd. There is a lot of noise, at some point, you Lord, hear someone saying that your Mother and relatives are standing outside. They would like to see You. You reply, my Mother and my brothers are those, who hear the word of God and put it into practice.
Your mother, or your siblings can become anyone who hears your word and puts it into practice. What am I listening to? Whom am I listening to? Jesus, we want to listen to You. You speak to us every day, in the gospel, in mass. The whole point of 10 minutes with Jesus is to listen to You and to find ways to put your Words into practice. You speak to us in the silence of our hearts. For you are more intimate than I am to myself. That is why, I make time to be alone with you.
Each day during this time, we are ready to say, not so much to listen, Lord, I am your servant, but rather than speak Lord, your servant is listening You. I want to hear the teachings of the Church. They are nothing other than the official interpretation of your word, of what you are trying to say to us. You speak to us through our neighbor. The person that I might find annoying or the person that sometimes corrects me. For this reason, my reaction towards them is one of gratitude, since they are instruments through which You are chiseling me into a better person.
Do it for love
Jesus speaks to us in our work, in whatever we are supposed to be doing, at the moment. He is encouraging us to do the best we can, without taking shortcuts. He is inviting us to do it for love, to serve yourself and serve others. The world is noisy, without doubt, but it is in the world that we hear the noise that comes from you.
As we conclude this time of prayer, we turn to Mary in today’s gospel. Jesus does not rebuke His mother. He knew that She is the one who perfectly listens to your words and puts it into practice. She can teach us, to tune in, to subscribe, to follow your word. The noise that comes from You which is our compass in this world.
It´s the end
I thank you, God, for the good resolutions, affections and inspirations that You have communicated to me during this meditation. I ask your help to put them into action. My Immaculate Mother, Saint Joseph, my father, and Lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.
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