BY fr. JLucas254🇯🇲, June 5, 2026

God keep them safe

One thing we all long for as human beings is someone who will LISTEN.

Not someone who will interrupt us. Not someone who already has all the answers. Not someone waiting for us to finish speaking so they can tell their own story. We simply long for someone who will genuinely listen.

In the Gospel of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5–42), Jesus shows us a beautiful virtue that our world desperately needs today: listening.

Jesus could have ignored the woman. He could have judged her because of her past. Instead, He spoke with her. He listened to her questions. He listened to her doubts. He listened to the pain hidden beneath her words. Through that simple act of listening, her life was transformed.

Recently, I had the privilege of accompanying four groups of Grade 7 students during their day of recollection. As I reflected on those moments, something stood out to me. The students were not drawn to me because I had all the answers. They were drawn by a smile, a welcoming presence, and the feeling that someone was paying attention to them.

It reminded me that listening creates trust.

Many people carry burdens that cannot be fixed overnight. Some struggle with grief. Others battle anxiety, loneliness, disappointment, confusion, or failure. Often, before they need advice, they need someone willing to sit with them and listen.

Listening is healing.

It does not mean having all the solutions. It means creating a safe space where another person can speak without fear of judgment. It means saying with our eyes, our posture, and our presence, “I am here. I am listening.”

Some of the most meaningful moments in life happen when words are few but attention is genuine.

As followers of Christ, we are called to become listeners. Parents listening to their children. Teachers listening to their students. Friends listening to one another. Priests listening to their parishioners. Young people listening to their elders.

When we listen, we communicate something powerful:

You matter.

Your story matters.

Your struggles matter.

You do not carry your burdens alone.

Perhaps today someone around us is waiting not for advice, but for a listening ear.

May we learn from Jesus, who listened before He spoke, loved before He corrected, and welcomed before He judged.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer another person is simply our attentive presence.

And sometimes, that is enough to begin healing a heart.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” — James 1:19