Every day, many voices are speaking to us. The moment we open our phones, somebody is telling us what to believe, what to buy, whom to support, whom to criticize, and sometimes even whom to hate.
And if we hear the same message again and again, there is a danger: we may begin to believe it simply because everybody seems to be saying it.
This is why the words of Saint Paul today are very timely. He is surprised that the Galatians are quickly turning away from the Gospel and following what he calls “a different gospel.”
His message is simple: Be careful whom you listen to. There are many voices, but not every voice leads us to God.
Something can be popular without being true. Something can have millions of views without being good. Something can receive thousands of likes and still lead our hearts away from Jesus.
That is why we need to ask ourselves: Who is forming my conscience? Is it Facebook? TikTok? YouTube? A political personality? My friends? My own preferences? Or is it Jesus Christ?
Saint Paul gives us another powerful question: “Am I trying to please human beings or God?”
This is difficult because all of us want to be accepted. We don’t want people to criticize us. We want people to like us.
But following Jesus will sometimes require us to stand for something even when it is unpopular—to remain honest when others are cheating, to refuse corruption when others say, “Everybody does it,” to forgive when people tell us to take revenge, and to defend what is right even when doing so costs us something.
Do not let the crowd decide your values. Do not let the algorithm form your conscience. Let Jesus and His Gospel form your heart.
I know his voice
There is a simple story about a father and his young son walking through a crowded marketplace. There were so many people, so much noise, and so many voices calling from every direction.
Suddenly, the boy became separated from his father.
People were shouting. Vendors were calling. The child became frightened. Then, from somewhere in the crowd, he heard one voice calling his name. Immediately, the boy smiled.
Someone asked him, “How do you know that is your father? There are so many voices here.”
The boy answered, “Because I know his voice.”
Final Words
This is our challenge today. There are thousands of voices around us. Some will confuse us. Some will deceive us. Some will lead us away from God.
But the closer we are to Jesus—in prayer, in Scripture, in the Eucharist—the more we will recognize His voice.
Know His voice. Trust His voice. Follow His voice.
Because among all the voices competing for our hearts, the voice of Jesus is the one that will lead us home.