Archbishop of Washington, D.C. on the Synod

Real listening is done with the heart

10 December 2021
As we go about our day in the U.S. and throughout the world, we participate in numerous conversations with our family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers. We speak and listen to each other in an exchange of necessary information to accomplish our daily tasks — whether we are determining what to eat, where to go, or what to do when we are present in-person or virtually. Each day, we involve ourselves in a needed exchange of ideas to reach agreement, understanding, and/or some kind of achievement personally and professionally. Attentive listening is at the center of it all for the healthiest of relationships. Listening is so much more than hearing words, sounds or voices. Real listening is done with the heart when we choose to see one another as we truly are — as brothers and sisters made in God’s image. In all that we try to do ...

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