Christ came to us in the silence of the night. We sing Silent Night, Holy Night. Christ comes to us daily in silence. Do we meet Him in silence, or does He come and not find any, and leaves us to our noise?
Christ will not force Himself upon us. He will not come if our hearts, minds, and souls are full of junk. Noise is junk
The hymn provides us with a great lesson in prayer. Without silence, we hear only ourselves, and the noise of the world. Christ cannot come into a noisy mind or noisy heart.
Listening to Catholics in the neighborhood talk about vacations, shopping, raises, money, investments, divorces, gossip is hard to avoid this time of year....I may go hide in the basement. Why do people talk about trivia? Why cannot people be silent? Are they afraid of silence?
I retreat to my little cell I am working on in my heart, soul, mind...
Silence is a gift, so if you have it, do not ignore the beauty and grace therein. I am convinced that hell and purgatory are noisy.
Do not squander the gifts when you are given these.
If you are given silence, cherish it.
I am thinking of dear St. Catherine again--create a cell in your mind, heart and soul to which you can go.
1. Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
for with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.
2. King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood;
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heavenly food.
3. Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.
4. At his feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim, with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/08/on-constant-quiet-yes-and-constant.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/02/give-up-noise-for-lent-and-here-is-how.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/02/on-silence-and-false-wisdom.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/11/on-listening-to-god.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/11/repeat-post-noise-is-rebellion.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-inner-life-bombarded.html