The Power Of Silence

17-09-2017 HOMILY FOR TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

SCRIPTURAL READING:

1. Sir. 27:30-28:7

Ps. 103:1-2.3-4.9-10.11-12(R. 8a);

1. Rom. 14:7-9; Accl; Jn. 13:34.
2. Gospel Matt.18:21-35.

Preamble:

Dear friends please repeat these words after me;

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my mind, may your word never depart from me.

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my ears, help me listen and obey your voice.

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my heart, help me welcome you always.

Holy Spirit, rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

THEME: THE POWER OF SILENCE.

Yesterday morning, I had Mass with the Young Christian Workers Movement and I reflected on this theme as a talk to them and now it is also important I reflect on it with you all as the theme for today’s homily.

I want to reflect with us on one of the most important elements that would help facilitate our growth and enable us achieve more in this community. One truth that must never be missed is that with the celebration of our feast day and the presence of His Grace Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins who opened for us here a lasting treasure which is the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, a new dawn has begun for us and it is important if we must come by any meaningful journey at all, accomplish great things as a family united in love, the time has come for us to sheath our swords and embrace the absolute goal of building our chaplaincy together so that our children may have something to reflect upon. So let’s sing this song---“onye le la anya na’zu-mmawuanyi na bi na azu.”  It simply means we must not look back if we must accomplish great task. Looking means going back to Egypt, it means going back to sin, evil, gossip, bitterness, quarrel, hate, so to accomplish great things, we must let go and forge ahead with resilience.

The Power of Silence:

To pray well, to accomplish great things, you need great silence. J. Maurus tells is in his book “the living moments of Silence” says there are many benefits of the power of silence such as A. Silence makes life meaningful. B. Silence is the work of self-control. C. Silence beats time. D. Silence awakens inner energy. E. silence makes the journey inwards easier. F. silence helps us cope with loneliness. G. silence is the fence of wisdom. H. silence makes conversation real. I. silence helps handle conflicts. J. silence wins success. K. God is found in silence.

For the sake of our focus today, let us take “Silence which enables us awaken our inner energy.” Silence has a healing power and enables one to come to a new life. In all generations silence is the one technique or discipline that can perform psychic awakening. It can provide a sense of psychological re-assurance that our positive thoughts, moods, feelings and perceptions, though they may seem fleeting, ensure a level of positive energizing awareness that is permanent and enduring.

Jesus says-the kingdom of God is within you if you accept it in humility and with the desire to comply with it.

A French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal says “that all human evil comes from this, man’s being unable to sit still in his room.”

It is necessary to listen to oneself, to one’s heart and body, to know what is really going on in oneself. It is necessary to surrender our life in full acceptance of pain and joy, to find our way of dealing with the negative sides in a positive way. This vigilance is essential if we want to draw inner benefits from our own silence.

Seng-Ts’an, master of Zen of the seventh century, said, “When we strive to be quiet by stopping motion, the quiet you achieve is always in motion.”

The practice of quiet is an exercise in “not-doing” which is quite different from doing nothing. It is an exercise of surrender to God and a discipline of letting go. In all things we see God’s hand without forgetting that the hand of the Master becomes our own.

This practice gives room to grow in unitive insight, nurtures our spirit and encourages our heart from whatever may be the next step in our daily journey.

Friends, silence help us accept the need to embrace the need for forgiveness as the Gospel calls our attention today. Forgiveness always refers to some concrete suffering in a definite person. And is given when we no longer need to say, “I forgive him.” This forgiveness is total, healing and relaxing-breaks the chain of hatred and revenge. It leads to harmony with other beings-person, animal, plant. All the world stands in need of our compassion and love.

In his book, Comment Pardonner, Jean Monbourquette says that human relations would be impossible without forgiveness. He gives also a list, though incomplete, of circumstances of forgiveness. Forgiveness can be grouped in this manner:

1. To forgive myself. This is the first stage in the ladder of forgiveness. I cannot forgive others unless I have forgiven myself, unless I am calm and at peace. The question we may ask is, but for what must I forgive myself? It includes:

1. For not having known what to do or what to say, ii. For having placed myself in a hurting situation, iii. For not having lived to my expectation, iv. For being angry or having lost my temper, v. for having done things without reflecting, vi. For being discouraged or sad or dejected, vii. For being outspoken, viii. For having looked down my nose, ix. For being judged as not acceptable, x. for my perfectionist character, xi. For manipulating others, xii. For lacking courage, xiii. For punishing myself by blocking off all the sun and rain, xiv. For being a wet blanket. Xv. For not receiving suggestions, xvi. For not laughing at my expense. Xvii. For the way I bounce back.

I must forgive myself in order to set free the power of love. I must stop, relax to taste the joy of forgiveness. There comes a time to simply tear up the score card and start over. There comes a time to give one and all a clear slate.

1. Forgive the family members: forgiveness begins at home because family relations often generate conflicts and friction. You must forgive: a. parents when they disappoint you with their defects, b. parent absent and silent, c. your father jealous of your success, d. your father who is an alcoholic and quarrelsome, e. your mother-hen who prevents you from growing, f. your brother who disregards you or refuses to help you in difficult situations, g. your sister who makes fun of you, h. your spouse who betrayed your fidelity, i. your spouse for his or her rude remarks, j. your spouse who ever tries to boss you, k. the mother-in-law jealous because you have stolen her son, l. the father-in-law who pays you too much attention, m. your son who makes demands above your possibility, n. your son or daughter who refuses every control, o. your son or daughter who does not respect your values.
2. Forgive friends and Acquaintances: often we place great trust in friends and acquaintances who can be a delusion. We need to forgive them too. Friends who have wronged you unjustly, friends who left you alone when you were in need, friends who pretended not to know you at the presence of others, a dear person who abandoned you, a friend who forgot his promises, a friend who does not show trust, a professor who neglects his teaching duty, the manager who tries to affirm himself by humiliating you, the associate who belittles you, the doctor who made a wrong diagnosis with loss of money and time, the thief who violated the intimacy of your home, the school which did not know to develop your talents, your enemies who wronged you in many ways.
3. Forgive God: when we find ourselves in difficulties, when we lack faith, when we think that it is impossible to accept his will, when we fall prey to anger, we accuse God of many ill treatments.

We accuse God: because he permits wars, suffering, poverty and death even of children, because he doesn’t seem to answer our prayers, because he doesn’t give the needful success, because I don’t reach the perfection he call me to.

Job, who was tired of living and had complained of God bitterly, prayed

I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful:

That you can do everything you want.

You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant.

I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know.

You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions.

In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.

Silence helps us underscore these set of truths and awaken a great energy within us. In terms of energy, Western thought has presupposed that psychic energy is generated within and is limited to the individual human mind and body.

In contrast, Eastern thought poses the existence of a universal energy that is manifested not only in the mentality and spirituality of the individual, but also in the physical working of the whole creation.

This energy is given a variety of names and nuances in different Eastern schools of thought, but there are many commonalities.

In Chinese-the very energy is called Chi.

In Japanese-the very energy is called Ki.

In Indian Sanskrit-the very energy is called Sakti or Kundalini.

In Christian thought, our inner energy comes from the awareness that we are created by God in his own image. We are loved by him and are sustained and guided by the grace of his Holy Spirit.

The awakening of our inner energy demands our full cooperation of silence and work, of observance of the law of forgiving and forgetting, of loving and accepting all as our brothers, and loving and accepting myself. We ally ourselves with God in Christ, and identify ourselves with him.

Medically, this synergism entails combining the healthy action of every organ of the body in order to keep the body healthy and sound. Hence the axiom: “The total effect is greater than the sum of the two effects taken independently.”

Abba Isidore of Pelussia, who disciplined himself in the practice of silence, said, “to live without speaking is better than to speak without living. For the former who lives rightly does good even by his silence, but the latter does no good even when he speaks. When words and life correspond to one another they are together the whole philosophy.”

Abba Poemen also said, “A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent: that is, he says nothing that is not profitable.”

The inner energy awakens a general sense of well being and is best manifested by joy, simple, pure, whole, universal. The real joy springs deep down inside and that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. It is the echo of God’s life within us.

Joy is peaceful. Those who wish to sing, always find a song.

Joy is flexible. It is the art of making a bouquet of those flowers within reach.

Joy is thoughtful. God loves a cheerful giver.

Joy is patient. It is like a butterfly. If you sit down quietly, it may alight upon you.

Joy is a wonder. It is a wondrous commodity; the more you possess, the more you have.

Joy is born twin. It finds the best in others.

Robert E. Farley says:

Think of the things that make you happy, - not the things that make you sad.

Think of the fine and true humankind, - not its sordid side and bad.

Think of the blessings that surround you, - not the ones that are denied.

Think of the virtues of your friendships, - not the weak and faulty side.

Think of the happiness of others, - and in this you will find your own!