Reflection on Father Parent's thoughts:

Knowing How to Listen

Listening takes many forms: first, listening to oneself, then to others, and finally to someone greater than oneself.

Goethe once said: “To speak is a need, but to listen is an art.”
Listening brings us back to something deep and inward, encouraging us above all not to stop at appearances.

Let Father L.-M. Parent help guide our reflection:
“Listening is a disposition of both mind and heart. It means giving the other your full attention...

It means entering the other’s heart, knowing how to remain silent, resisting the urge to speak your thoughts, following your own inner movement, aligning with your feelings...”
(Volunteers of God Collection, Toi, tu aimes!, June 1984, p. 12)

“To listen is to draw from deep within oneself glimpses of God’s wisdom, for He created me in His image.” (Idem, p. 14)

“Listening is a gift from God, the discovery of the language of silence… a climate of peace, an expression of serenity, a heartfelt welcome.” (Idem, p. 15)

Let us ask the Lord for the grace to truly listen, to welcome that quiet inner voice that lives within us and can keep our minds from wandering.

Happy listening!
Fernande St-Onge