One of the most common themes in storytelling is simple: someone with wisdom… a parent, mentor, or guide, gives important advice meant to protect or bless. The counsel usually comes with the emphasis: “Whatever you do, don’t…” or “Make sure you always…” And the funny thing is, even while the warning is being delivered, you just know the character is going to ignore it and mess everything up.
For example, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the children are told, “no touching, no meddling, no tasting.” Naturally, that’s exactly what they do and chaos follows. In Gremlins, Gizmo comes with three rules: keep him dry, avoid bright light, and never feed him after midnight. Every rule gets broken, and the results are basically the destruction of the town. In Finding Nemo, a fish father warns his clownfish son not to stray from the safety of the reef. Nemo tries to impress his friends, wanders off, and suddenly he’s far from home in a dangerous adventure that nearly sends him to sleep with the humans.
Hearing but not listening is not just a well-worn movie theme; it’s a summary of the human condition and commentary on our relationship with God!
Last week we heard the story that set the pattern for the book of Genesis. Adam and Eve were given one command in the Garden of Eden. Just one, don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they refused to listen, the effects spread quickly: violence enters the world, pride grows, division deepens. Sin moves fast, and it always carries consequences. Scripture and Tradition consistently show us something we don’t always love to hear: obedience to God is rarely easy, but it is always life-giving.
In the first reading, God asks Abraham to do something incredibly difficult. He’s told to leave behind his homeland, his security, his familiar world…everything he knows. And he’s not a young adventurer setting out on a bold journey. He’s seventy-five years old. No children. No guarantees. Just a promise from God: “I will make of you a great nation… I will bless you… your name will be a blessing.”
It would have been perfectly reasonable for Abraham to say, “I think I’ll stay where I am.” But he listens. He obeys. He steps into uncertainty, trusting the One who called him. And through that obedience, God begins something far greater than Abraham could have imagined or would see in his lifetime. And yet today, we know that every part of the promise has been fulfilled!
The Gospel shows the same pattern. On the mountain, the apostles see Jesus transfigured in glory. Then they hear the voice of the Father: “This is my beloved Son… listen to him.” That command comes with a hidden challenge. To listen to Jesus will mean following him not only to glory, but also toward suffering and the cross. Trusting him will not always feel safe or comfortable or certain. Yet the apostles are invited to believe that even when the path is hard, it is still the path that leads to life.
The second reading makes this even clearer. Saint Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of bearing hardship for the Gospel, but to rely on God’s power. Listening to God and obeying him will involve sacrifice. In some way, God’s faithful will experience loss, struggle, and suffering. But difficulty is not a sign that we are on the wrong path. Sometimes it is precisely how God shapes us, strengthens us, and leads us toward something greater than comfort could ever produce. Doing God’s will is not always the easiest choice but it is always the right one.
This theme of obedience is not something reserved for Abraham or the apostles! God is calling each of us to obey his plan and law in our own lives. He continues to speak to us in prayer and through the Church, asking us to draw closer to his beloved Son and listen to him. He is inviting us to leave behind our old way of life, those things in which we place our trust, and re-establish our faith in his divine promises. He wants to make us a part of that great nation of believers and to make our lives a blessing. But we can only experience these good things if we embrace obedience to his will. We can take comfort knowing that God never breaks his promises, he makes the impossible, possible, and the more we trust him, the more he blesses us. We have today’s readings as a reminder of this powerful truth.
So the question for us today is simple and personal: where is God asking us to listen like Abraham and apostles? Is he asking for a greater fidelity to the Catholic teaching on difficult topics? Could he be asking you to consider the possibility of expanding your family through openness to life or adoption? Is it by being more generous in sharing the blessings you have received with those who are less fortunate? Maybe he’s inviting you to let go of habits or comfortable routines that keep you from growing. Maybe he’s calling you to be more patient and present to the people who need you. Maybe obedience looks like forgiving when it’s hard, persevering when you’re tired, or choosing what is right even when it costs something.
One thing is certain: obedience to God never goes unnoticed or unrewarded. Today we ask for the grace to hear his voice, to trust his promises, and to follow his Son, even when the path is demanding. And with the psalmist we pray: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
