God touches us in the silence
What good does it do me if Christ was born in Bethlehem once if he is not born again in my heart through faith? (Origen of Alexandria).
Mary said “Yes” to God’s request that Jesus would be conceived in her womb. St Joseph said yes to protecting Mary and accepting the baby Jesus in their lives. Even though Joseph did not understand the full implications, his yes made all the difference in his life.
Have you and I let Jesus be born in our hearts this past Christmas? Just as Mary opened her life to allow Jesus inside her, you and I can choose to do the same. In our lives up to now, have you and I said yes to Jesus being born in our hearts?
There is a moment in the Catholic Mass when Heaven leans close. A moment so powerful that the Church demands absolute silence. A moment most people ignore, but the saints never miss.
It happens right after the priest says, “Let us pray.” For a few seconds, everything stops. There is no talking. No moving. No music. No noise. Just silence. Most people think it’s a pause. But it’s not a pause.
This is a meeting place, between God and your soul. God touches us in the silence. This is a sacred moment. The priest gathers the prayers of every heart in the room, and God listens.
In that silence: the tired father lays down his burden; the grieving mother whispers a name; the doubting soul asks for light; the sinner begs for strength; the broken heart offers its wound. And the priest, standing in the place of Christ, lifts all of it to God. (from Catholic Online Class).
The saints understood this. St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “God speaks in the silence of the heart.” St. John Paul II called the silence at Mass, “The womb of the Word.” Silence is space for grace.
This is the one moment when God waits for your voice, your intention, your cry, your thanksgiving, your hope. This moment belongs to you. The silence after “Let us pray” is when you place your heart on the altar. Your needs. Your wants.
I mentioned in an earlier article that in a moment of silence with God, time stands still, God is outside of time. It is an eternal moment. We do not need an hour to let God touch us. A moment is enough. God works fast.
Don’t miss the silent moments with God. These can happen in your room, in nature, or in church. Step into the silence. Offer your intention. Let your heart speak, even without words. That silence is not empty. God is waiting for you. That single, quiet moment can change your entire life.
Franciscan theologian Alessandro Maria Apollonio tells us the Immaculate Heart of Mary represents the mystery of her immaculate love towards God and towards man. And this word “love” is the centre of Revelation.
The pure concept of love is the center of Revelation because “God is love” (1 John 4:16). The Immaculate Heart of Mary, with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the image of this mystery: the pure love shared with creatures, starting with those closest to God.
Our “yes” to letting Jesus be born in our hearts this Christmas, this New Year, is the fulfillment of the saviour promised in scripture. God is with us. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).
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