Listen when God speaks November 6, 2024By Mark Viviano Catholic Review Filed Under: Amen, Commentary, Feature, Full-Court Catholic Do we listen when God speaks to us? Many times, I’ve been deaf to his word, but one memorable day he touched me with a clear message that changed my life. I was stubborn. Our Lord persisted, and I’m grateful that I heeded his call. In 2011, I was in peak overload with an obsessive work life. I was single, but “married” to my profession of sports reporting. My workday had me leaving early in the morning to host a mid-day sports talk show on radio. I did the three-hour broadcast, then went to WJZ-TV to report sports for the evening and late news, returned home after midnight, and did it all again the next day. My personal life and faith life suffered, but I clung to the identity of a dedicated worker, feeling I had lived up to the standard set by my father, Joseph. Throughout my childhood, I saw him work long hours running his fruit and produce company. Dad woke up at midnight to drive his truck to the market in St. Louis and did heavy lifting to support his wife and five children. My labor required no heavy lifting, just long hours. I wanted to be like my dad. My dad was a devout Catholic and his daily devotion to Christ was the priority in how he raised us. With my mom by his side, they emphasized the importance of work, but having a God-centered life was most vital. In 2011, God set me straight. On a spring morning, I drove to the radio station with my car radio tuned to the ever-present babble of sports talk. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my chest. It felt like someone had reached over from the passenger seat with an extended arm, but I was alone. The pressure was firm and pushed me back into my seat. My first sensation was a fear that quickly shifted to awe. In ways I cannot explain, I felt God’s presence and his message to me became clear: slow down – life is more than labor. My life lacked love. I knew I had to change. I got to the radio station and went directly to my boss. In what felt like an out-of-body moment, I told him that I could no longer do my radio show. It was too much. He smiled and said, “I wondered when this day would come. I don’t know how you did it as long as you did.” It had been six years of my obsessive schedule, but it would be no more. I did my final radio show two weeks later and when I walked away, everything felt different. A self-imposed weight was off my shoulders, I breathed more easily, and I looked around and saw things I had not noticed during my maniacal grind. My renewed focus on God and his plan re-energized me. I was able to approach my work at WJZ with a fresh perspective. Within days, a co-worker sent me a computer message inquiring about a training schedule for marathon preparation. In past years, I would have offered a terse reply because I had little time or interest in engaging further. But with a more open mind, heart and schedule, I invited that co-worker to my office for a discussion on distance running. She was one of the news producers. We had worked together for two years, but I had never noticed her or bothered to speak to her. We became running partners and eventually much more. Her name is Megan. She is now my wife and the mother of our two children, Michael and Christian. Husband and father are my most important jobs, and I embrace those roles with joy and gratitude to God, who saved me from myself and led me to Megan. I am forever reminded that we must always be aware of his direction, with our hearts open to his will. Read More Commentary ‘Magnifica Humanitas’: A feast of a message needing measured bites Question Corner: Will everyone know each other’s sins at the last judgement? ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ explores being human in the age of artificial intelligence What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you Flannery O’Connor: Southern writer made Catholic vision ‘apparent by shock’ When Life’s Impossible, Talk to St. Rita Copyright © 2024 Catholic Review Media Print
