In his book for young people Michael Ende tells of a young girl, Momo, who possessed an unusual ability: Momo could listen like no other person. She listened in such a way that when others unburdened their hearts to her the sad became happy and the despairing were comforted. She listened in such a way that those who were bickering suddenly realized how meaningless their conflict was. Through the listening of Momo a canary bird that had been silent for years was helped to sing again. None of this depended on what Momo said but entirely on her attentive listening. With her large, dark eyes focused on a speaker, thoughts arose in the speaker that otherwise would never have come to the person while speaking.

In a follow up with various meditation groups we collected responses to this story as to what prevents us from listening as this child did. Each person was to think about what occurred to them. We selected the most important responses which I offer you now as the basis for your meditation.

The actual meditation exercise consists of the different possibilities evoked by the question: where do my particular listening barriers lie? The same barriers that prevent me from listening to people prevent me to an even greater degree from hearing the soft, subtle impulses of God's Spirit that can lead and guide me in daily life. The gathered "materials" can become the subject matter from which we can develop a deeper and healthier ability to listen in personal prayer. How such praying might be expressed in real intentions depends on the nature of the material. It is helpful to write down these intentions so that we can continually check whether we are sticking to what is possible. The old rule applies here just as with the education of children: don't demand too much, but see to it that what is demanded is held to.

There is one more thing to practice here and that is that we become aware of the analogies between the everyday experiences in human affairs and the living out of our spiritual life. Already here we begin in small ways to practice dealing with symbols. This ability will help us to carry over aspects from our everyday and let them become fruitful in our spiritual life. Above all we practice that which is basic not only for these exercises but for our entire spiritual life, namely, letting daily exercises and awareness become prayer and become "transposed" into praying.

Another comment which pertains to all the exercises has to do with the abundance of materials. We don't have to do everything in detail! In meditation there is neither the striving for perfection nor the pressure to acheive. That will destroy meditation. It is more beneficial to go deeply into one point and fully explore that before proceeding to meditate more superficially on many things. Therefore, in the beginning it is important to remain with what appears significant to us even a bit longer than we intended. Something may yet come forth. Only then can we slowly and calmly move on to the next point. This applies to all meditation.

 You cannot really listen:

- when there is too much unrest around...

- when you cannot find a quiet place for conversation...

- when the atmosphere of the room is not conducive to listening...

- when you are in a hurry and cannot take time for another. . .

- when you cannot fully "tune in" to another...

- when you do not open yourself to another...

- when you do not take other persons seriously or consider what they have said to be important.

- when another person is boring you . .

- when you do other work on the side that requires your attention...

- when you talk too much...

- when you try to listen to another conversation at the same time...

- when you are absorbed in your own speaking or in your own thoughts...

- when your thoughts wander off...

- when you think about all that you have yet to do...

- when you are not composed...

- when you are not inwardly at peace...

- when you feel rage within and want to flee...

- when you have fear of another...

- when you have prejudice against another...

- when you think that you could be overburdened by what the other person will say...

- when you feel attacked or hurt...

- when you...