Turn On. Tune In.

Recently, I was giving a parish mission in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  I went up to the microphone to begin my talk.  The sound was turned off.  No one seemed to know how to turn it on.  There but for a singular  woman usher, the night would have been a disaster.  She had watched how the sound was turned on for weekend masses.  So she turned it on and the evening was saved from disaster.  In prayer we have to turn on our sound system to hear God.  Lots of times I forget to do this.  I say that I am listening but in fact I am not turned on or tuned in on God's frequency wave.  I am too busy talking in prayer or thinking pious thoughts, that I forget to turn on God's sound system in my heart.  Secondly, God might want to speak to others through me.  I am God's sound system for others.  My bad behavior or useless chatter is what keeps the sound system off.  Many people say they have turned away from God or a belief in God because of the bad behavior or idiocy of so-called believers.