How Solitude of Heart Helps You Hear God’s Voice – Oct 25 – Homily – Fr Josemaria

Fr. Josemaria Barbin gives the homily, on how Catholics can deepen their personal relationship with God by practicing mental prayer and cultivating interior solitude of heart to hear His Word.

In his homily, Fr. Josemaria Barbin addresses why many Catholics fail to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, attributing it to a lack of perseverance in personal contact with His love. Grounded in Christ’s response regarding the greatest commandment, Fr. Barbin highlights how Jesus quotes the Old Testament *Shema* from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 while specifically emphasizing the addition to love God with all one’s "mind."

To love God fully, believers must first hear His spoken Word (*Rema*), allowing the eternal Word (*Logos*) to penetrate their hearts personally. Growth in understanding the deposit of faith occurs through mental prayer and meditating on these realities, as noted in CCC 94.

To engage in fruitful meditation, Fr. Barbin cites St. Alphonsus de Liguori, who emphasizes the necessity of "solitude of heart." This interior disposition engages the soul's intellect and will, allowing believers to piece together God's eternal plan, much like Our Lady did when she pondered these things in her heart. Solitude of heart does not require retreating to a physical hermitage; rather, it is achievable anywhere by stepping back from constant external noise and reactivity. By carving out this inner space for mental prayer, Catholics can consistently encounter the personal love of Jesus Christ and follow Mary's example of listening to and pondering God's Word.

– Sins committed after baptism are forgiven through the sacrament of reconcilia... – https://airmaria.com/go/gsJhvD
Denzinger – Christians must examine their conscience regularly without delaying conversio... – https://airmaria.com/go/gU4Xcm
Bishops – Contrition and conversion are essential components in the process of reconcil... – https://airmaria.com/go/igkUGh
Commission – Sin and human conversion carry social dimensions rather than individualistic ... – https://airmaria.com/go/Jkah5m
Church – The sacrament of repentance is a holy mystery of spiritual healing. – https://airmaria.com/go/VcZHKN

Matthew 22:37 – Loving God with all your heart and mind – https://airmaria.com/go/xAFcKT
Deuteronomy 6:5 – Loving the Lord with all your strength – https://airmaria.com/go/T7khbt
Luke 2:19 – Mary pondering all these things in her heart – https://airmaria.com/go/FuxRJG
CCC 94 – Growth in faith through pondering God's word – https://airmaria.com/go/aEcgs9
CCC 2705 – Meditation as a quest to seek the Lord – https://airmaria.com/go/kEKbfu

00:00 - Story of the Punctual Latecomer
03:25 - Why Catholics Fail to Go Deeper
04:14 - The Greatest Commandment
05:14 - The Shema and Loving God With Your Mind
06:53 - Logos, Rhema, and Mental Prayer
08:47 - The Key to Prayer: Solitude of Heart
12:21 - Following the Example of Our Lady

Ave Maria!
Mass: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/102526.cfm
1st: Exodus 22:20-26 - Social Laws
Resp: Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 - God's Deliverance of the King
2nd: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 - Thanksgiving for Their Faith
Gsp: Matthew 22:34-40 - Greatest Commandment

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=795

Also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dGHIxIsbn4