Commentary on the Gospel of
Use Them or Lose Them
Spiritual faculties, like our physical faculties, need to be regularly exercised so as to keep them healthy and functional. If not, whatever little health and functionality they have will also disappear. The spiritual faculty of “listening” must be exercised regularly with our perceptive listening to the Word of God – as Mother Mary listened, cherished, and contemplated her son’s words in her heart. Our sacramental sensibilities must be exercised by regular sacramental practice, especially Eucharistic practice. A family that spends some 20 minutes every day to gather together to read the Word, share faith, and listen to God’s workings in one another’s life that day will develop far deeper spiritual sensibilities. Such habits of the heart provide us with a “third eye”, a deeper understanding to the mysteries of faith in our lives. Then we will not be like those unfortunate ones who hear but do not understand, see but do not perceive.
