The Silence of Jesus
“And when He was accused by the chief priests and ancients, He answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to Him: ‘Dost Thou not hear how great testimonies they allege against Thee?’ And He answered them never a word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly” (Matt. 27, 14).
First Prelude: Behold Jesus silent, bound like a criminal before the heathen Judge.
Second Prelude: Ask grace to value His marvelous example of silence in order to love and imitate it.
First Point
Motives for the Admirable Silence of Jesus
Hatred goaded on the enemies of Jesus to add new accusations to those already made, of which they could not substantiate a single one. Jesus, however, replied never a word, a cause of much confusion to the governor, who said: “Dost Thou not hear how great testimonies they allege against Thee?” Again, Jesus was silent. If the pagan governor wondered exceedingly at the marvelous silence of Jesus, how much more must we admire it and seek to penetrate the motives that prompted Jesus to set us such an example. Jesus was silent to atone for our vain excuses, our false justifications of self. He was silent for love of His enemies, of whom He would not speak ill. He was silent to merit for us the grace to suffer silently for love of Him, and by doing so to accumulate heavenly treasures.
While His accusers vented their fury and passionate hatred against Him in a tumultuous clamor, He opened not His mouth to utter a single contradiction. He felt deeply the most bitter pangs of such insults, but He offered them for us poor sinners to His heavenly Father, Who laid upon Him the sins of all mankind. Upon how many souls has the heroic silence of Jesus made a deep and lasting impression! It has animated thousands to astound heaven and earth by a similar silence in the face of unjust accusations. He has called us in His mercy to lead a life of silence and recollection in imitation of His example. Let us resolve to imitate the admirable silence of Jesus if ever we should be the victim of unjust accusations.
Second Point
Why Should We Imitate the Silence of Jesus
Many consider themselves spiritually and corporally too weak to follow Jesus on the way of the cross, to bear sufferings and severe mortifications voluntarily, but all can imitate His holy silence. By silence we manifest our love for Jesus, increase our merits incessantly, and facilitate our progress in perfection. A neglect of silence prepares the way of sin and robs us of countless treasures. Such neglect makes us prone to all manner of imperfections.
We violate humility by over-sensitiveness and vain excuses—charity, by indulging our spirit of criticism. We lose time in idle conversations, or what is worse the merit of sacrifice by untimely murmurings and complaints. We fail through curiosity and distract others by our useless talk. Meanwhile, our fellow-religious are accumulating treasure upon treasure by fidelity to the rule of silence, and we daily and hourly suffer irreparable losses through negligence and carelessness in the use of our tongue. We will beg Jesus, through the merits of His holy silence, to strengthen us so that we may henceforth open our lips only for His honor and the welfare of our neighbor. How do I observe silence? Does my love of silence bear witness to my being a good religious?
Affections: O my Jesus, how great and sublime is the oblation of Thy holy silence, immolated to the heavenly Father for the salvation of the world! I pray Thee, by Thy infinite merits, grant me the grace never to abuse my tongue by sinful discourse. I repent of all sins and scandals of which I have been guilty in the past by misuse of my tongue. Oh, that in the hour of my death, not a single unnecessary, sinful word may be my accuser before the tribunal of Thy Majesty. Grant me the grace, O Jesus, to imitate Thy most adorable silence.
Resolution: I will conscientiously observe silence as prescribed by our Holy Rule, and for the love of Jesus will refrain from excusing myself when admonished.
Spiritual Bouquet: “But Jesus answered nothing.”
Prayer: O Jesus living in Mary . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment