Noise

Mom asked me a question in a comment to yesterday’s blog that I have had to think about for most of the day to respond to. She asked, “But with the world in the situation it's in, who is thinking about anything God-like, at least in a great majority of our youth! There is too much "noise" in the world for anyone to hear Jesus in the "gentle breeze"! What is your opinion on that?”

I think my answer can be found in the first reading today. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit works to help me find answers in this crazy upside-down world.

Gn 28:10-22a
Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran. When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set, he stopped there for the night. Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep at that spot.

Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God's messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying: "I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south. In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing. Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed, "Truly, the LORD is in this spot although I did not know it!" In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!"

Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it. He called the site Bethel, whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.

Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode."

Jacob was a rebellious youth. If you really think about it, he was not much different from the youth we find today. In fact he was a LOT worse —he was a real conniver and liar—but God still reached out to him and promised him that He would protect him and bless him and all his descendants in all nations for all time!

But you’re probably thinking that Jacob didn’t have the “noise” and distractions from TV, video games, pornography and the like that plague our youth to prevent him from hearing our Lord’s voice. I submit that he did have ‘noise’—self-inflicted noise from his ambitions. He didn’t think much about God at all—only himself, again like the youth of today. Until God decided He was ready to make Himself known to Jacob.

Jacob fell into the trap a lot of us do and put God on an equal level. He couldn’t comprehend that God can be in Heaven AND with us wherever we are—and that He loves us despite our tendencies to ignore Him. Jacob was so full of himself that even though God promised to be with Him, he says in essence, “Hey, we’ll just see how good you really are. Protect me on this journey, provide me with food and clothing, and get me safely back to my father’s house, then I’ll consider you my Lord.”

Of course He does everything that Jacob asked, but at a cost. Stay tuned for the rest of that story later this week.

So in answer to Mom’s question, I put my trust in Jesus that those young men He is calling to the priesthood (or whatever their vocation is) will hear His voice, regardless of the ‘noise’ from the outside world. He is the “King” of subliminal messages!

I have an example of how Christ is calling to one youth I know. Her mother and father are good folks, but they are divorced and neither one practices any religion or even talk about faith with this young woman. But she took it upon herself to take a pledge to save herself for marriage and wears one of those “purity rings” that are becoming popular among the more spiritual youth of today. And she takes it very seriously. She recently got a boyfriend and she made it quite clear that the purity ring stands for something dear to her.

My family recently went to dinner with her and her mom. It was one of the holidays and out of the blue, she asked me why we went to church ‘all the time’. I told her it was to give thanks to God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and she asked if it would be alright if she went with us to Mass “sometime”. I told her that I would take her any time. She didn’t feel ready just then, but I can see in her eyes when I see her (which is seldom) that she is searching for Him. I hope I’m around the next time she asks—because I’m sure He is calling to her, and I’d like to “break the ice” and introduce them.