Fr Richard's homily for the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
Homily: God's language
When Elijah went out to stand on Mount Horeb the Lord came
to him not in the might of a wind, the strength of an earthquake, or the flame
of a fire. But He came in the gentleness of a breeze. In other words, God appeared
not in a dramatic moment but amid silence and stillness.
Today’s reading teaches us much about where we encounter God
in our own lives of prayer. The great mystic St John of the Cross once wrote: “The
first language of God is silence.” With these words, that great Doctor of the
Church reminds us how quiet contemplation is essential if we are to come closer
to the Lord.
Silence doesn’t merely mean the absence of noise – but also
the stillness of our minds and hearts. There can be all sorts of thoughts, dilemmas,
and distractions that can mean our period of prayer isn’t the most “silent”. We
shouldn’t worry too much about the momentary distractions – we are human after
all and the Lord delights even in our willingness to give Him time in prayer.
But when our mind does wander, we should always try to refocus our hearts and
minds towards the Loving God who is in our midst; who delights in us coming to meet
Him.
In the times when we come to that true silence – the Lord can
gift us with His wonderful consolation, when it is His will. Indeed, it’s
always important to remember that a profound spiritual encounter of the Lord’s
presence is His gift, not our own achievement.
This current period is a wonderful time to find that solitude
where we look at God and He looks at us. To help us enter into a period of contemplative
prayer, we do well to begin with today’s Psalm. “O Lord, hear my voice when I
call; have mercy and answer…It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your
face.”
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