hear god or die?
"This was the dream; the interpretation we shall also give in the king's presence." —Daniel 2:36
King Nebuchadnezzar had a nightmare. He had to find out what it meant. He thought the wise men of his kingdom might be able to interpret the nightmare, but he questioned their credibility. So, instead of telling them the nightmare to be interpreted, he demanded that they additionally read his mind and disclose his dream. He even ordered that the wise men be put to death when they couldn't tell him his dream. Then Daniel was brought in. Daniel would either discover the nightmare by listening to the Lord or be executed with the other wise men. He heard God, discovered and interpreted the dream, and saved many lives.
At first, most of us don't think we are "on the spot" as Daniel was. We don't see our situation as: "Hear God or die." Nevertheless, we may be in a situation where we either hear God or see the continuing deaths of millions of babies in the womb. We either hear God or see the deaths of countless marriages and families. We either hear God or continue to be victimized by the culture of death in so many ways. We may be more desperately in need of hearing God than we think.
When we were baptized, the priest touched our ears and prayed with Jesus, "Ephphatha" (see Mk 7:34). Because of our new, baptized life, we can hear God. Therefore, let us restructure our lives to maximize our hearing of God. Let us center our lives on the Mass and on the daily reading of the Scriptures. Let us live in practical Christian community, go to Confession at least monthly, simplify our lives, and build into our lives each day a time of silence. We can hear God. We must hear God.
Prayer: Father, open my ears so as to save many lives.
Promise: "Take care not to be misled. Many will come in My name saying, 'I am He' and 'The time is at hand.' " —Lk 21:8
Praise: Marie, a busy homeschooling mom, gets up sacrificially at 5AM so she may spend time to hear the Lord.
Reference: (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Hearing God.)
Rescript:
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, April 24, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 28, 2003