Homily, September 8, 2024
From The Pastor
‘Be Still and Know that I am God.’
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know that
Be still and know
Be still and
Be
Psalm 46:11
Silence is a bit of a taboo in our culture. Some people swear by it as a source of peace and awareness of their soul. Others cannot tolerate silence and go to great lengths to avoid any form of quiet.
Many people today, more often the young it seems, are comfortable saying ‘I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.’ In many ways this could be a true and life-giving statement. Those seeking the spiritual way who make any progress in spiritual maturity know the value of silence and the graces it offers. Not just the young, but across our culture, it is difficult to not notice the number of people with a phone glued to their ear listening to something or to their face watching countless videos. This is not a complaint or a judgement. I could just as easily be counted among this crowd.
When we are so occupied with the noise and stimulation that surround us, what is it that we fail to see and hear? These preoccupations are either idle or intentional. Many do not want to see what is before them or hear what is within them. This will not lead to a healthy spiritual life. We are familiar with the fear and anxiety of Elijah as he fled to Mount Horeb away from Queen Jezebel who sought to kill him. Hiding in a cave, he sought the consolation of the Lord’s presence. First there was a wind, then an earthquake, then a mighty storm. These were more symbolic of the inner storm within the anxious Prophet. Finally, there was a still small voice. Elijah came to the mouth of the cave to seek its meaning and experienced the presence of the Lord. Silence is the seedbed of revelation.
In the first reading, Isaiah hears a word from the Lord to share with the people whose hearts are frightened. “Be strong. Fear not!” The Lord is inviting the people to be calm and quiet so that they may realize the presence of the Lord. The Lord further offers, ‘the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be cleared.’ This is a call from God to trust in the fidelity and providence of God to fulfill all he promises. The inner quiet and calm of faith will open the eyes and clear the ears to perceive the presence and action of the Lord.
Can God make the Divine presence felt in active and loud ways? Yes, of course. Music is a powerful source of perceiving God. Nature, inspiring videos, movies, or countless other tangible realities that alert the heart, mind, or soul to God’s presence. Yet, silence remains a privileged time to perceive the Lord.
The gospel is a functional example of this. One could rightly say that the healing of the deaf mute is one expression of the prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled in the words and deeds of Jesus. First, notice that ‘people’ brought the deaf-mute man to Jesus. You could say they saw with compassion the need of their friend or relative. They heard and listened to their hearts and brought the man to Jesus with faith and trust for a good outcome. Their seeing, hearing, and acting is rewarded in the restoration of the man’s hearing and speech.
This personal healing was such that Jesus felt it necessary to afford the man the privacy of going away from the crowd. Speech and hearing are very personal gifts that allow us to engage life, persons, and relationships with all that surrounds us. Imagine the man’s loneliness and isolation. This is an intimate act not only of the Lord’s touching and spitting, but also giving the gift of a new life of personal engagement and participation in society and relationships. The man’s capacity to see is now enriched by his ability to hear and speak. The willingness of his friends gave him the gift of a fuller life.
It creates a strange contradiction. After a life of imposed silence how did the man manage all the noise that now surrounded him? I can only imagine that he would need times alone in the silence of his own thoughts pondering his life, and the action of God that restored him. How about you?
We are all aware of selective hearing as well as choosing to blindly not see what is right in front of us. Part of this is resistance to not be bothered, part of it is psychological, sometimes it is fear. Sometimes it can simply be an emotional habit formed by personal or social behavior. There is a difference between being lonely and being alone. Those who learn the wisdom of silence to simply be, will then realize how spiritual they are. God is in you and wants to be seen and heard. Try it. You may like it.
Father John Esper
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