IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TALK WHEN EVERYBODY TALKS.

IT IS EVEN MORE
DIFFICULT TO LISTEN WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY INTRUSIVE VOICES.
OUR READINGS FOR TODAY CARRY A COMMON WORD WHICH OUGHT TO BE
CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR JOURNEY: SILENCE AND LISTENING. IT IS VERY EASY TO
LISTEN WHEN EVERYTHING IS QUIET OR WHEN EVERYBODY IS MUTE. WE CAN
LISTEN ATTENTIVELY.
IN THE GOSPEL, THE DEVIL MAYBE MUTE, BUT NOT ALL DEVILS ARE MUTE. MOST
OF THE DEVILS DISTRACT US FROM THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER.
THE DEVILS OF OUR MODERN AGE ARE TELLING US THAT WE MUST BE MORE
AGGRESSIVE AND ASSERTIVE. WE MUST BE MORE PROSPEROUS AND PROVE AND
FULFILL OURSELVES.
BECAUSE THESE LOUD DEVILS ARE TELLING US TO BE SO, WE ARE TEMPTED TO
SAY TO OURSELVES THAT WE MUST REALLY PROSPER AND ASSERT OURSELVES.
AND BECAUSE OF THE PERSISTENT AND LOUD VOICES OF THE DEVILS OF OUR AGE,
WE CAN SOMETIMES PLAY DEAF TO THE CRY OF THE POOR SAYING TO US, “HELP
US!”
WHEN THE LONG AND LOUD VOICES OF THE DEVILS TELL US THAT WE MUST
ACHIEVE AND BE RICH, SOMETIMES WE MISS THE VOICES OF OUR LOVED ONES
TELLING US, “LOVE ME AND HUG ME!”
BECAUSE THE VOICES OF THE DEVILS OF THE WORLD ARE TELLING US THAT WE
MUST BE FULFILLED, AGGRESSIVE AND AMBITIOUS, WE SOMETIMES FAIL TO LOVE
OURSELVES UNLESS WE ARE SLIM, SEXY OR UNLESS WE HAVE MONEY.
THE DEVIL IN THE GOSPEL WAS MUTE BUT HE REPRESENTED ONLY THE MINORITY.
MOST OF THE DEVILS ARE SHOUTING LOUD AND LONG AND WE CAN GET
DISTRACTED.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IN THE RULE OF BENEDICT, SILENCE IS ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF A MONK. LEARNING TO BE SILENT IS MORE THAN
JUST KEEPING THE EXTERNAL SILENCE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF ONE CANNOT
KEEP EXTERNAL SILENCE, THEN PROBABLY THE INTERNAL SILENCE IS NOT VERY
PROFOUND EITHER.
THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO ASK THE GRACE OF THE LORD TO HELP US TO SILENCE
OOUR WORLD, EXTERNALLY AND INTERNALLY…
LISTEN TO HIM. THERE IS ALREADY SO MUCH TALKING. NOW IS A TIME FOR
LISTENING.