Dear Friends,

St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata is quoted as saying: “If we really want to pray, we must first learn to listen: for in the silence of the heart, God speaks. And to be able to see that silence, to be able to hear God, we need a clean heart. Let us listen to God, to what He has to say. We cannot speak unless we have listened, unless we have made our connection with God. From the fullness of the heart, the mouth will speak, the mind will think.”

It is precisely on this that the Scriptures on which Holy Church is inviting us to meditate this week remind us of “Who we are” because of “Whose we are!” In the First Reading, we hear the wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira: “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live … Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; He is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God are on those who fear him; He understands man's every deed. No one does He command to act unjustly, to none does He give license to sin.” (Sir 15: 15,17-20) And, St. Paul reminds us: “We speak a wisdom to those who are mature, not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. … Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious [and] hidden … as it is written: ‘What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love Him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.’” (1 Cor 2: 6-7, 9) And Jesus exhorts us: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” (Matt 5: 37) The pressing question for inquiring minds, however, might be: “Why?” Why does God reveal Himself in silence, in littleness, in humility; which seems so different from what the world thinks best? Why does God communicate with us in a place in which we are not comfortable? It seems to be obvious … maybe it is not about me being comfortable or uncomfortable … maybe I’m overthinking it and not realizing the obvious … maybe, just maybe; it is simply that God is with us. God is with us and within us … God is with us so closely that He doesn’t have to yell to be heard or create drama for His Presence to be real. Maybe, just maybe He is hugging us so closely to Himself, that if we stop whining and making a fuss about ourselves, we might actually hear Him whispering into our ear how much He loves us.

Through grace, Jesus beckons us into the deep unknown adventure of life and love. He stands before us with hand outstretched inviting us to come to Him. This does not happen only when everything is perfect and I have time to think and plan and … whatever. No, it happens right now amid the storm, the rushing winds, the crashing waves, the stress of work, the anxiety of our finances, the concerns for our children, the vicissitudes of our relationships, the burden of our temptations and struggles of the on-going battle between good and evil outside of ourselves and in our own hearts … He is not any of those things; but, He in the midst of them all “salvation takes place” waiting for us to “be still and know that He is God” and, as we acknowledge that we are not, we humbly ask for His assistance to achieve His Holy will and not our own! The Gospel we hear today is the continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (which we often reduce to the Beatitudes). In His message to us He is revealing the interior reality of our journey into the Kingdom of Heaven and the stripping away of our selfishness in the process. What He is presenting to us is significant for the maintenance of our immortal souls. It is the voice of the Good Shepherd calling us gently into the warmth and protection of His fold. The still, small whispering voice that calms our fright, gives confidence to our weakness and assurance to our doubt. It is the voice of a loving parent who gently reminds us of his/her presence and protection, even when we don’t see them. It is the force that, in our childhood, scared away the bogie-man in the basement and the monsters from under our beds … it is simply, LOVE … pure and selfless LOVE. Do we have the faith to remain focused on Him in the quiet of our being? Or, are we more comfortable being distracted by the noise and chaos around us? Do we have the courage to believe? Do we have the courage to be still, listen and know that God is with us and that He loves us? Believe me, it is frightening and can be painful, as well, but I beg you “Be not Afraid” and listen for the sound of that gentle whisper of God’s still, small voice … it alone gives hope and peace and instills trust.

Be of good cheer and have a blessed week!

Msgr. Grous

A WORD OF THANKS

Allow me to acknowledge gratefully the work of MATT GOLDBERG, who decorated our Church so beautifully for the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity. In October, calling him only for some advice or ideas to help me with what might we do, he agreed to visit. When he came, he generously offered to share his artistic gifts to create the prayerful ambience that enriched our worship and prayers at Christmas. In his charity, he generously donated his skill, his time and many of the new things added to our Church without reimbursement. May we remember him and his family in our prayers. Thank you!

Be of good cheer and have a blessed week!

Msgr. Grous