Let our silence express openness towards Jesus, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit. Illustration image: unsplash.com/Vignesh Chandra
Let’s now remove disturbing sounds and images from our surroundings and leave the activity for a few minutes. Let’s rest on a chair and perceive God’s presence. Let us bless ourselves and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and the gift of silence of the heart.
SILENCE IS A GIFT
„Silence, please! We tend to say this if the flood of words and sounds has exceeded the importance of the present moment. Silence is the presence of God. Silence is himself,“written in the Diocese of Spies Eucharist meditation material, and Silence.
God is humble, and humility does not like noise, showing off, or drawing attention to oneself. Our soul also likes silence. Let’s give her space and open ourselves to prayer.
Pope Leo XIV recently said that prayer and a sustained effort at conversion are essential for opening oneself to the Holy Spirit and his promptings. He emphasized that in the current tension, we can open ourselves to the Holy Spirit and perceive him. Therefore, creating an environment for prayer born from silence is essential.
Material Eucharist and Silence, he directs us to the fact that the most significant events of salvation took place in silence.
„ In the silence of the night, the beloved Son of God entered this earth. In the silence of the night, Gethsemane accepted an indescribable agony. He gave himself to us in the sacred silence of the Jerusalem supper room forever. And so it is to this day. In the silence of unspeakable pains and sufferings, he gave his soul to the Father on Golgotha and completed the work of human redemption. God comes in silence. Touches our lives in silence.“
IN THE SIGN OF SMELL
Let’s watch an event from Jesus’ life, a feast in Lazarus’ house. Let’s imagine the atmosphere of a silent reaction of fellow diners, when under the influence of the smell of nard oil, which filled the house, a silence is born that opens the hearts of everyone to think about the meaning of the sign of this smell.
„ Six days before Easter, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he raised from the dead. They prepared a feast for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those who dined with him. Mary took a pound of true precious nard oil, anointed Jesus’ feet with it, and wiped them with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of oil. Here one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was to betray him, said: ‘Why didn’t they sell this oil for three hundred denarii and give it to the poor?‘ But he didn’t say that because he was concerned with the poor, but because he was a thief. He had a bag and carried what was in it. Jesus said: ‘Leave her, let her keep it for the day of my funeral! After all, you always have the poor among you, but you don’t always have me.‘ Many Jews learned that he was there and came not only for Jesus, but to see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead“ (Jn 12, 1 – 17).
According to the evangelist John’s description, everything takes place in silence until a certain moment. These were the days after Lazarus’ resurrection, which definitively oriented the high priests to silence Jesus. They were hindered by the attraction of his words and actions to the people who began to gather in Jerusalem for the Easter holidays.
Before this feast, Caiaphas said it was better if one died for the people. Lazarus’ resurrection from the grave and Jesus’ presence, people’s questions „What do you think, will come to the holidays?“ – may still have faded in the ears of those in Bethany.
And suddenly, the smell of free respect and love seemed to highlight Jesus’ goodness and power, which were manifested in the resurrection of Lazarus.
THANKING JESUS
When everything feels urgent, it’s easy to lose focus and clarity. Step back, identify the most impactful task, and tackle it first. Protect your time with clear priorities and avoid reacting to every distraction. Focus is about choice, not just effort. What helps you stay grounded under pressure? Let’s share strategies!
Hello. And Bye.