Who's your "voice"?

In today's Gospel, we hear the words of Isaiah recalled by Mark. He writes:

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”

There are a lot of voices out there. TV, movies, music, even our peers try to lead us to happiness, but what voice should we listen to? It sounds cliche, but God is the path to our happiness...it's His voice we should follow.

Why? Because the things that look so good in the media and in those around us really aren't. Things like drugs or sex, things contrary to God's will for us, might be fun at first, but they do nothing to fulfill us. They carry us away from God, and strain our human relationships as well. Promiscuity is especially harmful because it steadily erodes our ability to truly love. There are lots of other harmful things out there too, and the world's system has many ways of making them look great. We have to be vigilant, and open to our conscience to lead us to the light.

But how do we know God's voice? It takes practice...but can be done. Prayer is a great place to start, giving 5 minutes a day to God, and slowly adding more time as you go. Reading from the Bible - which is God's word - is another way to listen to him. In time, everyone can come to know His voice if only they listen.

Let Jesus be the voice in your desert, whatever that might be.