..."silence guards the mystery..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Advent used to be a season of "silence" more than it is today, but Pope Francis spoke of it in his homily:

Pope Francis: "Silence Reveals the Mystery of God's Plan

VATICAN CITY, December 20, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Mary, with Her example of silence, shows us how to guard the mystery of God’s path for us.

This was Pope Francis' reflection this morning during his homily at Mass in Casa Santa Marta.

Today’s Gospel recalled the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that She would give birth to the Savior. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you,” said the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. Reflecting on this “shadow” that conceals the mystery of the Incarnation, the Pope said this shadow is comparable to the cloud that protected the people of Israel in the desert.

“The Lord has always taken care of the mystery and has covered the mystery. ... And this is what happened to Our Lady here, when she receives her Son: the mystery of Her virginal maternity is concealed. It is concealed for Her whole life! This shadow of God, in our life, helps us to discover our mystery, our mystery of the meeting with the Lord, our mystery of the path of life with the Lord.”

This shadow, or cloud, that exists in our life, he said, calls us to silence. Regarding silence as the “cloud that covers the mystery of our relationship with the Lord”, the Pope said that without it, the mystery is lost. The Blessed Mother is an example of this silence, from the moment of the Annunciation till the death of Christ.

“The Gospel tells us nothing: whether She said a word or not...She was silent, but in Her heart, how many things did she tell the Lord! ...She, with silence, covered the mystery that She did not understand and with this silence she left this mystery so that it could grow and flourish in hope.”

Concluding his homily, Pope Francis stressed that silence guards the mystery of God’s plan of salvation for our lives. “May the Lord give us all the grace to love silence, to look for it and to have a heart guarded by the cloud of silence” (Underlining is mine)

Silence is not easy -- in the world we hear a lot of exterior noise, and in the interior recesses of our hearts the noise of distractions can keep us from prayer. I have felt the need for more silence. I am grateful God gave me that need because in it I sense His desire for me to draw closer to Him. Come, Lord Jesus!

Holy Mary, wrapped in silence, pray for us.
Holy Joseph, silent Guardian of Jesus and Mary, protect us.