“This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” These divine words resonate with the purpose of revealing the significance of Jesus in our lives. They embody encouragement, acceptance, and the path to personal growth, making a difference in our world. Listening plays an important role in learning and it is one of the skills in counselling. I remember my professor saying, ‘Be attentive in my class. If you listen well, you need not strain much’. Indeed, active listening is the ability to receive, interpret and integrate messages in our day-to-day living.
However, the art of listening demands deliberate effort, time, energy, and patience. It is a conscious act that I’ve personally harnessed to foster self-awareness. As a formator, listening attentively to the challenges and struggles of my charges, I’ve discovered that when parallels exist between their experiences and mine, a process of purification unfolds, guiding me toward improved self management. Hence, through effective listening to others we learn to balance ourselves.
St. James, in his epistle, implores us to ‘be quick to listen,’ urging us to employ our senses in understanding our surroundings. He adds ‘be slow to speak,’ highlighting the value of interpreting what we’ve absorbed. This art of effective listening is also essential for developing relationships serving as a catalyst for problem resolution. In essence, the heavenly injunction to listen to the Son, combined with the virtues of active listening, encapsulates the profound connection between understanding, personal growth, and harmonious interactions.
Reflecting upon this theme, I sense the necessity for three distinct modes of listening to infuse purpose into my existence.
Sr Benny D’Cunha UFS
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