You’re watching six people—three in white shirts and three in black— pass a basketball around. You’ve been told to count the number of passes made by the white shirts. As you do, you fail to see a large, hairy creature stroll in, thump his chest, and leave.
Impossible? Not at all. Half the viewers don’t notice the intruder, say psychologists Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, who created the test. Click here to view a video of the experiment. Their twofold conclusion: “We are missing a lot of what goes on around us,” and “We have no idea that we are missing so much.”
The disciples in today’s reading also have a “selective attention” problem: They keep missing the message of the cross and have no idea that an instrument of death can lead to life. Already, they have heard Jesus foretell his passion and death and say that every follower must take up his or her own cross. Three of them have seen Jesus discussing his death with Moses and Elijah. And now the message comes like a neon sign: “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But the disciples still don’t get it. Soon they will be wrangling over their rank (Luke 9:22-23, 30-31,44,46).
Are we so different? In our own lives, can’t we remember instances where it took forever to see what Jesus was showing us—especially when it didn’t fit our expectations? “Pay attention!” should be our watchword, too.
Today, then, think about what you can do to become more attentive to the Lord and his teaching. Maybe you can think of ways to fight the “pious coma” syndrome and be more present to God as you pray, read Scripture, and attend Mass. You can decide to “pay attention” by learning more— about the lives of the saints, church history, and the doctrines of the faith. Why not read a spiritual classic like St. Augustine’s Confessions, Thérèse of Lisieux’s Autobiography of a Soul, or Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life? And see the Catechism, which has a wonderfully prayerful final section about prayer. Using all these helps, let’s allow the Lord to show us every “invisible gorilla” he wants us to see!
“Holy Spirit, make me attentive to your every word and leading. Enlighten my mind as I keep watch for you.”
Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15; (Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13