Fourth Sunday of Easter - Cycle C

John 10:27-30

“My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Jesus doesn’t mince words when he claims his followers and promises that they will never perish and that no one will take them from Him.  What gives Him the authority to say such a thing?  He tells us, “The Father and I are one.”

Jesus’ promise to guard and protect as the Father does is still true for us.  We may not be living in the time of the disciples, but we still have access to Jesus’ words and his teaching through Scripture.  The more time we spend with Jesus’ words, the more we come to know Him and recognize when He is speaking to us, especially in prayer.

The Catholic Church gives us many ways to pray —- such as scripture-based prayer like Lectio Divina, imaginative prayer like Ignatian Contemplation, and  reflective prayer like the Examen.  Moreover, we can simply sit in silence and listen.  By repeating our prayer daily, we learn to notice the ways that God is moving and directing us.

How does the voice of God show up in prayer?  For some, it is a feeling, a sense of peace, or the awareness of a Presence.  Others feel God through their conscience, an inner tug to do something, or by considering where actions may lead.  Sometimes we may wonder if it is God speaking, or if we are speaking to ourselves, but that is part of the discernment process.  For me personally, when certain ideas show up repeatedly in prayer, it is usually an indication that God is trying to direct me in a certain way.

When discerning between two paths to take, both courses of action should be morally good; when we are tempted to do something that is immoral, we can be sure that it comes from the Enemy.  Sometimes, God may ask us to do something we do not like, which may involve some kind of sacrifice, but it may be for someone else’s good.

We can find assurance that Jesus will keep us close to Him even when things are not going right in the world.  As long as we continue to listen and follow Him through prayer and respond to his words, He will hold us tight.  He is not worried about anybody trying to take us away from Him, and neither should we be.