Father Kleppner - March 13th 2005
Silence can be a welcome place after a busy, noisy day; or it can drive you crazy if you have too much time on your hands. A good place to begin silence is from Psalm 46. “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10). The gift of silence, in the life of grace, is sitting in His Presence and experiencing His great love. In silence, the grace of God helps one to forget time and enjoy the heights of insight and the power of Him who made us. In Hosea 2:16, God speaks to each person in a sort of desert and he speaks to the heart. God speaks to one’s heart, not the mind. This is the beginning of the interior life. St. Teresa of Avila talks about the interior life and the different rooms and mansions of the castle. She also speaks of the inner sanctuary as being “the cave of the heart.”
What is silence? Catherine Doherty, Foundress of Madonna House, says, “silence is prayer, but it is a prayer beyond all prayer. It is not just a physical silence or a daydreaming type of silence. It is a listening that leads to the communication of love because it leads to union.” When people are in love, eventually words will begin to diminish until there are no words, there is no need for words anymore. Silence is a language all its own. It is in this inner room that Jesus talked about where we enter to pray to the Father in secret (Mt 6:6). In the presence of God, we are in the presence of pure love. In the silent heart, the noises of the day, the uncharitable actions and thoughts, and all pettiness melt away before the growing, flowing love of His loving presence in you. In silence, the things we do not like about ourselves slowly drift away. The beautiful gifts that God has given you will show up like the grass and little flowers that grow on the side of a mountain in the springtime. We will discover the power of His love within and the power to love others. You will be surprised how prayer and fasting bring His graces to others. Try it! We need to ask Jesus for a healthy gift of silence in our hearts. This gift of silence will teach us how to love because it provides the climate to listen. That is all silence really does; it brings us to a listening posture so that we can receive His indwelling love within our hearts. God’s gift of silence has power beyond imagination to continue to quiet those noises in the time of prayer and in the daily activities of life. Silence does not leave when we quit praying. It stays with us to continue to hear the voice of Jesus throughout the day. Silence teaches us how to love God, our neighbor and ourselves. Love puts out the fires of hatred. Jesus and His love changes every word and thought into His charity. We need to cultivate this kind of silence that teaches us how to listen. When we listen, we learn how to love; when we love, we learn how to be obedient, and when we learn to be obedient; we obey the Father’s will that all should come to know the love of Jesus and respect His great gift of life. In silence, the Father says ”This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him” (Mk 9;7). In silence, while listening to Jesus’ voice, we will hear the will of God. Another beautiful gift of silence is the root of discernment. Silence is energizing because we have heard from the One who is life. The graces of strength and charity are sure to change our lives within before we challenge the culture of death that lurks around us. The strength of the Jesus will support and supply us where God desires to challenge and overcome the darkness of this age. God does have an effective plan to bring all His people back to the culture of life. In silence, He will reveal to you how you can be a part of the conquering of the darkness. It is best to share with friends in a prayer group or your spiritual director how Jesus will work through you. |
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Lenten Meditation - Fifth Sunday in Lent
A Productive Life The Garden of Eden seemed ideal. We often try to rediscover it as a place for our summer vacation, free of all responsibilities. Over a period of time, though, would we be happy there? Eventually, we might miss the satisfaction of accomplishing something. God made our world in such a way as to make productivity both essential and rewarding. We all have some responsibility toward the rest of the human family. It is wonderful when people can feel productive in their chosen vocations, but life can also be enriched by what we accomplish in relationships, what we give to the people around us at home as well as at work. Productivity involves building a life of integrity and of compassion. Scripture calls us to bear fruit and St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (5:22) tells us what this fruit is like: “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Bearing this kind of fruit is infinitely rewarding. Notice that our Lenten search for “Living the Good Life”, goodness is one of the fruits Paul mentioned. Part of goodness is found in making people around us feel good. When we leave this life, or simply leave someone during the day, what of our selves stays in their hearts and minds? The abundant life that Jesus promised us calls for productivity. Our lives, like the life of Jesus, need to give something to those around us. The giving life, the serving life, the kind of life that bears fruit is in line with what God hopes for us. No “forbidden fruit” tempts us here, because the good fruits of love and understanding and peace are found in abundance. |
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