Listening

A man realized that he could not hear very well and that he had to buy a hearing aid. But he did not want to spend much money on it. So he went to the store and asked the clerk, "How much do hearing aids cost?" "Well" said the salesman, "it depends. They run from two dollars to two thousand.'' "Let me see the two dollar model," the man said. The clerk hung a string around the man's neck. "Just put this button in your ear," he said, "and stick this string in your pocket." "How does it work?" asked the customer. "It doesn't work. But when people see it on you, they'll speak louder."

Dear friends, actually most of our communications problems are not due to people speaking too softly, Most of us are not good listeners. Big companies know that people want to be listened to. One company uses the motto: "We listen better, and another company says, "We hear you." As one little girl promised, "I'll try to listen  louder." 

Today's Gospel also tells us that whoever listens to God's word is like a person who builds his/her house on the rock where the foundation is dug deep and whoever does not listen to His voice is like a man who builds his/her house on a sand and when flood water comes his/her house collapses. So let's be a good listener.