Preparation to hear from ancient experience

The words of Jeremiah “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock” (Jeremiah 31.10) from the texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offers a starting point for reflection. This understanding of the nature of the relationship with the Divine helps to “flesh out” our understanding of Divine movement and direction in the lives and experience of the ancient authors of Sacred Text and in our lives today. Matthew relates Jesus explanation of the parable of the sower. The need to be prepared to hear the Word is the action arising from this parable. How does that preparation occur? There are many ways for opening the spiritual ears. Richard Rohr suggests the suppression of the ego necessary for this opening can come from great love and/or great suffering. The message of Jeremiah recalls the life of Job who lived great love and great suffering as his relationship with the Divine deepened. The knowledge of the Spiritual Canon and the Tradition which is initially a “Sunday school exercise” becomes a key or a hoe to open the door or prepare the soil to recognize the shepherd and to bear fruit for the benefit of the community. Another observation from the Canon and the Tradition is the paradox that the Way seems obscure to those who try hard to see but is clear to those who simply say “yes”.