Sister Paulette Garry
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
St. John, 7: 40 – 53
Obviously, I have read this Gospel hundreds of times. However, this sentence stood out for me this time. “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” The chief priests and Pharisees asked why they, the guards, had not arrested Jesus. For the guards, Jesus had said something authentic. Arresting Jesus left their minds.
It seems to be that the gift of listening to another is in short supply. To really listen to another takes time and effort. We must “put on hold” what our response is going to be. To really listen and to listen between the lines of what is being said takes all our concentration. Thus, they too might say of us, “Never has she spoken like this before” if our listening was done correctly. To be present to another in a listening mode is a huge gift to them.