The Inner Ear of the Heart

The concept of "listening to God" is hard to explain - so I was delighted to come across this beautiful description in the book, Benedict's Way (in the chapter on Listening):














The whole spiritual life of the Christian... is a process of listening to God... This image of the inward ear, the ear of the heart, shows us that our listening is not merely an intellectual or rational activity; it is intuitive, springing from the very core of our being; where we are most open to God, most receptive to the word he speaks. We have to be very quiet and still within ourselves, very alert and attentive, if that word is to resonate properly in our innermost depths.

(The passage is a quote from the book, The Path of Life: Benedictine Spirituality for Monks and Lay People by Cyprian Smith, O.S.B.)