"If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river and your vindication like the waves of the sea." To hearken, to listen to God is practically the definition of true prayer. But how do we do this? Or, maybe, more importantly, how do we know when we are listening to God, or just to ourselves?

In a favorite movie, "Cool Hand Luke," there is a scene where Luke (played by the late Paul Newman) is in a church and starts talking to God. He is in deep trouble and has lots to pray about. He prays out loud from his heartfelt need, but, of course, he hears no voice from heaven. Being a very simple and direct person, he concludes he hasn't been heard, and he says something like, "Just talking to the rafters or to the wind."

So often we conclude that God hasn't heard us, losing track of the real question, the question of today's readings: have I been hearing God? To do that, we have to be still. We have to shut up, at least for a while. Silence is the realm in which God speaks to our hearts, which are, after all, the authentic temples of God. Time spent in quiet prayer is never wasted time; it is totally fruitful as Isaiah affirms: "your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence." Eternal life!

The prophet, Jesus, too, speaks of the lack of listeners to God's word, both for the serious message of John and the more joyful message of Himself. Not only does Jesus remind us of the folly of not being able to hear any message whatsoever, but he also reminds us of the danger of not giving the other person a chance. When we criticize, judge harshly, or ridicule others, we stifle the Spirit and close ourselves off from the face and voice of God. What we need is a patient, open, ecumenical spirit. Otherwise we too will miss the prophetic voices and gestures of our own time, those who speak of and show us the word of God. As Jesus said, "only time will prove where wisdom lies," and He calls us to take the time to grow patiently in fulfilling His command of unity and love. Waiting for the Lord is what Advent is all about, for He is the One who will transfigure our lowly bodies into copies of his own glorious body. Now is the time.