Are We Listening?

Homily for Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

The reading from the prophet Amos presents us with many conditional statements in the form of rhetorical questions. Through these figures of speech, Amos draws a picture of a people who have grown accustomed to ignoring God’s voice. He reminds them that nothing in creation moves without a cause: “Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey?” The prophet’s point is sharp—Israel’s troubles are not random. They are the echo of a divine call that has gone unanswered. Even the devastation of Amos 4—“you were like a brand plucked from the fire”—was meant to awaken the heart. Yet the refrain is sorrowful: “But you did not return to me.”

In the Gospel, the disciples face a storm so fierce that their boat is being swamped. They cry out, and Jesus rises—not with panic, but with authority. He rebukes the winds and the sea, and “there was great calm.” Creation listens to Jesus’ command and the storm obeys. The disciples, however, are left wondering who stands before them.

The contrast is striking. Israel refuses to hear the Lord’s warnings delivered by his prophets, in this case the prophet Amos. The sea in Matthew obeys His whisper. The question for us becomes simple: Do we allow the Lord’s voice to steady our hearts, or do we cling to our fear?

Psalm 5 gives us the posture we need: “In the morning I plead my case before you and look for you.” The psalmist stands before God with honesty, trust, and expectation. That is the stance that turns storms into classrooms and warnings into invitations.

For all of us, the Lord’s voice often comes quietly: in the needs of the people we serve, in the rhythm of prayer, in the gentle correction of a brother or sister, in the tug of conscience. When we respond, grace flows. When we ignore it, life becomes a storm of our own making.

Let us ask God for the grace to be more like the sea than like the stubborn cities of Israel. We must be ready to be calmed, ready to obey, ready to trust the One whose voice still speaks with authority.