What Does He Want You to Hear?

by David Lins  |  07/11/2021  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

Well. It’s July of 2021. And when this month was ushered in, this parish has now become the parish I’ve spent the most time as an employee. Of the previous five parishes, the record had been five years at both Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale and Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, California. Your time in purgatory is now officially the longest.

Of all those parishes, I’ve always been the one to make the decision to move on. Except once—unofficially.

The pastor’s friend was moving back to town and the pastor wanted me to move on so he could hire his buddy. He gave me the choice to be resign and receive a glowing recommendation or be forced out in which case—he explained—he wouldn’t be able to give me a recommendation.

As a naïve young man who didn’t understand how workplace politics occasionally work, this confused me. After all, the Lord had used me to build the largest Catholic youth group in Northern California at the time. If I did a great job, I should get a great recommendation. If I didn’t, I shouldn’t. Simple as that. But I was essentially forced to resign so a friend could have my job. It stunk.

I hated informing the youth, their families, and the parish at large that I had “decided” to move on. Those who knew me well figured out it wasn’t a voluntary decision.

The pastor invited me back for one last Mass at the parish. Before Mass, he made an announcement and said he wanted to talk about someone in a pew. Then, he announced the new youth minister and called him up to say a few words. I was blindsided and stunned. I’d actually gotten along with the pastor and this almost seemed thoughtless at best and cruel at worst.

Then Mass began. And the Gospel was the same it is today. And they gave me words of great comfort. “Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet…” It spoke to me. HE spoke to me.

I encourage you to listen closely to every reading. The Lord is still speaking to us today. What does He want you to hear?