15 August 2015
Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Silence is the cloud which veils the mystery
of our relationship with the Lord…
My dear Sisters,
At this time of the year, many of the Sisters are on holiday, with family or ‘on retreat’, while other Sisters have already begun the Community year.
We are on the threshold of another Rosminian Year which will include “The Holy Year of Mercy” during which we are encouraged to be ‘missionaries of mercy’ and forgiveness and to give genuine assistance in meeting the ‘real needs’ of people. It is a time to begin anew: wherever we are, at whatever stage of life, we are ‘missioned’ to serve the Lord in love, knowing that He is always with us in the great and small circumstances of our lives, in moments of activity and in moments of quietness.
While our eyes are on ‘The Distribution’: ‘what will I be doing?’ it is good first of all to dwell on; ‘what is my new mission?’ in connection with ‘Moments of interior quietness’.
The beginning of the new year is also traditionally interconnected with the Assumption of Mary into heaven. In this context we call to mind the words of Pope Francis: “The attitude of Mary of Nazareth shows us that being comes before doing, and that we must let God do in order to be truly as he wants us to be. He will accomplish marvels in us.” (8 Dec 2014) The following reflection of Bl Antonio Rosmini is also particularly significant here. He invites us “to meditate on and imitate at all times the most profound humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom the Holy Scriptures describe as in a constant state of calm, and peace, and quietness. The life of her own choice was one of humility, retirement and silence, from which she was drawn forth only by the voice of God, or by feelings of charity towards St. Elizabeth… the humble and retired Virgin was raised by the Almighty to the highest of all dignities, and to a throne of glory more exalted than any which was ever given to men or even to angels.” (Maxim 5)
If you have ever experienced the joy of being high among mountains or in some remote place, where there is no roar of cars or engines, and no ‘hustle and bustle’ of daily life, then you will know what it means, not only to be in tune with the different sounds of nature, but to be still in the appreciation and awesomeness of the moment. In a similar way we can experience a “state of calm, peace and quietness” not only in tranquil or out-of-reach places but anywhere: by reducing the continuous bombardment of today’s noise and distraction, we become aware of an inner treasure – silence – where it is possible‘to be’ and to look at our lives, our relationships with others and with God.
Pope Francis, in speaking about the mystery of the annunciation and the witness of Mary, who lived this silence for the whole of her life, reminds us:“God’s overshadowing of us in our lives, helps us to discover our own mystery: our mystery of encounter with the Lord, the mystery of our life’s journey with the Lord. Each of us knows how mysteriously the Lord works in his or her heart and soul… This overshadowing in us, in our lives, is called silence. Silence is the cloud that veils the mystery of our relationship with the Lord, of our holiness and of our sins. … But when there is no silence in our lives, we lose the mystery”. Here then is the importance of “guarding the mystery with silence: this is the cloud, this is God’s power in us, it is the strength of the Holy Spirit”. Pope Francisconcludes with a prayer that “the Lord might give us all the grace to love silence, to seek it out, to have a heart guarded by the cloud of silence. Thus the mystery growing within us shall bear much fruit”. (20 Dec 2013)
How important inner silence for me? Is this silence a ‘sacred space’ – where I consciously leave aside the urge to turn on the television or computer, pick up a newspaper, check communication devices or even ‘say prayers’? The value of sacred silence can never be under-estimated: “We all have need of this silencefilled with the presence of him who is adored …This is what man needs today; he is often unable to be silent for fear of meeting himself, of feeling the emptiness that asks itself about meaning; man who deafens himself with noise. All, believers and non-believers, need a silence that allows the Other to speak when and how he wishes, and allows us to understand his words”. (John Paul II, Orientale Lumen, 16). To the measure that we create this necessary and precious time in our daily lives – in addition to our normal prayer-time – so too will be the richness of our communication with others and our ability to enter fully into the mission entrusted to us for the coming year.
With our hearts full of gratitude for the year that is past and remembering the Sisters who have returned to the Father’s House, we are challenged during the year ahead to live the prayer of Pope Francis:
“In this time … teach us how to go against the current,
teach us how to be unencumbered, to give ourselves,
to listen, to be silent, to not focus on ourselves,
but to leave space for the beauty of God, the source of true joy”.(8 Dec 2014)
Re-echoing what Bl Antonio Rosmini said: “adorare tacere godere”.
A happy Feast of the Assumption of Mary, together with all the blessings of this coming Rosminian Year.
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