# Give us ears to hear
*2015-12-09*

> Bill Young reflects on the second week of Advent, focusing on the importance of listening to Christ amidst the noise of the world.

## The Word of Christ

Today is Wednesday of the second week of Advent. We are praying from the book 'Opening Our Hearts to God: Praying through Advent with Pope Francis.' The focus for today is 'Give Us Ears to Hear,' centered on the reading from Colossians 3:16-17: 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom. And as you sing praise and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.'

## Listening in a Noisy World

In our daily lives, we are surrounded by thousands of words, much of which can be distracting or meaningless. Our prayer today is for God to open our ears and teach us how to truly listen to the word of His Son, Jesus, despite the noise of the world around us.

## Recognizing the Poor and Needy

Listening to God is not just about hearing scripture, but about listening to the reality in which we live. We are called to be attentive to every person we encounter, paying special attention to those who are poor and in need, as they are often where the word of God is most urgently spoken.

*We must ask God for the grace to hear His voice in the world and in the people we encounter, especially the poor.*