Homily of Deacon Bob Ketteringham, St. John XXIII University Parish, August 13, 2017 (Scripture readings: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a; Matthew 14:22-33 )
Amidst the clutter and busyness comes a message for us to step away from the noises-of-life and pray in solitude like Jesus and Elijah.
Seeking God, Elijah went to a cave. There he found God, but not in the big and loud things. Rather, he found God in a tiny whisper! Tiny whisper can be translated as silence, stillness, or a calm. The New Revised Standard Version Bible interprets verse 1 (1 Kings 19) as, “and after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.” Elijah found god in sheer slience!
In today’s gospel, Jesus, tired, and distraught from the death ofhis cousin, John the Baptist, sent his apostles away so that he could pray in solitude. Prayer was a characteristic quality of Jesus’ ministry. He prayed before major decisions and events. His ministry began with 40 days of fasting and prayer in the desert, and it ended with him in Gethsemane alone in prayer.
God is always present, always communicating, always listening. But — we probably won’t hear His voice booming from the heavens. It will most likely come as a tiny whisper. To hear Him we must attentively listen; to listen, we must recover a dying practice — silence!
I just returned from a silent retreat that I began going to with my father about 30 years ago. I resisted his invitations for yewars. However, when I finally went, I found a treasure that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I never imagined that I could find such joy and peace in silence.
Silence is more than simply keeping our mouths shut. Silence is the environment that enables us to attentively listen, to discern god’s voice. Have you ever been so wrapped up in talking that the sky could fall in and you wouldn’t notice? Have you ever missed something important because your mind was elsewhere? Have you ever missed something your significant other said because you were watching television, playing on your computer, or texting? I was at a party the other day and the question was asked of the men, “What is one thing your wife would like you to do more of?” I’m sure you can guess the answer: It was — listen!
So, we should listen. We need not run off to some cave or desert. We just need to find stillness to silently ponder in the company of God. Our blessed mother Mary and the Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet are good examples of such pondering. As we ponder, we’ll begin to hear and discern God. We’ll find him in our desires, emotions, and even in the events of our lives.
I am reminded the old joke about the man who prayed to God to save him from the flood but drowned anyway. When he got to Heaven, he asked God, “I had faith that you would save me, why did you let me drown?” God replied, “I sent you a pick-up truck, a boat, and a helicopter and you refused all of them.” He was not a very good listener, was he?
There are many ways to attentively listen. Here are a few:
- Rather than rushing through scripture or spiritual literature, read them slowly and prayerfully; when something captures your attention, the Holy Spirit is speaking. Ponder it and talk about it with God. I’ve known scripture scholars and renowned theologians with a lot a head knowledge, but little heart knowledge — sad, isn’t is? On the other hand, there are those like the faithful pilgrim who is struck when she heard the words of sacred scripture, “Pray always,” pondered these words, and spent the rest of her life trying to live them.
- We attend mass every Sunday to honor and be fed by the One who gives us absolutely everything. Therefore, rather than saying the mass or hearing the mass—pray the mass, being attentive to the movements of the Spirit.
- And, of course, spend time in solitude simply being quietly present to Jesus, friend to friend.
Pope Benedict XVI once said: “We live in a society in which it seems that every space, every moment must be ‘filled’ with projects activities and noise … let us not fear to create silence, within and outside ourselves, if we wish to be able to become aware of God’s voice …” (Pope Benedict homily, July 4, 2010).
So, don’t you think it’s a good idea to go into your closets, pray and listen once in awhile. Don’t wait for a fierce storm or the threat of death to seek the Lord. Seek him while he can be found. Turn off your radios, televisions, computers and cell phones for just a little while, enter the silence and be attentive to God.
(Bob Ketteringham, ordainted a deacon of the Catholic Church by Bishop Richard Stika on June 11, 2016, is a pastoral associate at St. John XXIII University Parish on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville)
