Come to me in the silence

Friday, Mar. 30, 2012

You know how you come across an idea that interests you, but for some reason or another you don’t pursue it, but the concept keeps popping up over and over again in different contexts until you finally give in and explore it? 

That happened to me recently.

It started in January, when the Vatican released Pope Benedict XVI’s message for World Communications Day. Here’s an excerpt: “Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist.”

The pope describes how silence allows us to determine what we want to say, and gives us time to sift through all the messages we receive to determine which are important. Being silent while listening to another also deepens our communication with them, the pope said. 

Pope Benedict goes on to discuss the concept in relation to the divine: “If God speaks to us even in silence, we in turn discover in silence the possibility of speaking with God and about God…. In silent contemplation, then, the eternal Word, through whom the world was created, becomes ever more powerfully present and we become aware of the plan of salvation that God is accomplishing throughout our history by word and deed.”

Because I’m trying to deepen my faith, and because my job depends on my ability to communicate, this message intrigued me. However, that was back in January, when I was busy with many things.

Last week, though, the idea of silence came up twice: During the Retreat for the Elect on March 17, Bishop Wester asked those present to give each other the gift of silence for the morning. Then, while taping the Tuesday Tapestry video about Eucharistic Adoration, the bishop, Father Patrick Elliott of Holy Family Parish and Joan Opheikens of Saint Joseph Parish talked about the joy of spending an hour in quiet communion with the Lord. 

With the pope, my bishop, a priest and a lay person all saying the same thing, I paid attention. On Thursday I popped into the chapel. I knelt, but all I could think about was work, everything that was annoying me and, by the way, wasn’t I supposed to be feeling calmer because I was taking time out of my busy day to pray?

That was a bust, but I decided to give it another try. On Sunday I got to Mass early. I wanted a few quiet minutes of prayer, but the congregation was reciting a rosary when I walked into the church, then there were announcements, and then the man behind me started talking with another about his schedule.

My unchristian reaction was ‘Can’t these people just be quiet and let me pray in peace?!’

Which thought was immediately followed by recognizing that I wholeheartedly supported the prayers, and that the announcement was necessary, and I should be grateful the man was present because he was one of the lay ministers.

So I asked a priest how, instead of first seeing how irritating people are, that all I notice is the good that they do.

Dominican Father Wayne Cavalier smiled and said he once asked a friend that same question, and the reply was that we should see Jesus Christ in them.

OK, fine, I said, but how?

That made him laugh. He said it was a good question, and when I find the answer, I should let him know.

This is precisely why I struggle with Catholicism. We all know what we should do, but none of us except the saints know how to do it, and sometimes even they can’t figure it out.