9 th July, 2006

14 th Sunday - Year B

S: Good morning - today we’re on about listening and it’s really difficult to listen at times - we all love to talk at once.

B: Yeah, I guess we all love to butt in with our opinion - and I guess when we do that we’re not really listening. Our word of life for today comes from Mark’s Gospel - “This is the Carpenter surely”, and they would not accept him” - Jesus has returned home to Nazareth and because he’s a carpenter people don’t want to listen to what he has to say - they’ve already formed their own opinions.

S: Just as Jesus came home to Nazareth, this time of year is a great time of homecomings here in Ireland - family members are coming home to visit their relatives and I guess the challenge for us today is to be truly open to the people we know and love - to listen to them and their story without always wanting to tell our own.

B: This morning we have a reflection on listening

When I ask you to listen to me

and you start giving advice,

You have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me and

you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way,

you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me and you feel

you have somehow to solve my problem,

you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen! All I asked was that you listen;

not talk, or do - just hear me.

Perhaps that’s why prayer works, sometimes,

for some people - because God is mute,

and He doesn’t give advice or try to fix things.

He just listens and lets you work it out for yourself.

So please listen and just hear me.

And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn,

and I’ll listen to you.

S: Today marks the seventh anniversary of “Just a thought”. Seven years of ‘Just a thought’ on Limerick’s Live 95fm. The years have really flown and we’d like to thank you all for listening and for all your kind comments over the years.

B: You’ve been listening to "Just a thought" with Brenda Cribbin...

S: and Seamus Madigan. We can be contacted through the Limerick Diocesan Offices at Henry Street. You can also download your own copy of this reflection by clicking on limerickdiocese.org

B: We look forward to your company next week, so take care...

S & B: Bye

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