HOMILY SEPT. 28, 2014 by
The other day I
was listening to one of Richard Rohr's talks. It was on
contemplative prayer. At
the end a listener, a hospice chaplain asked Richard a question a dying person
had asked her. Why the dying person asked is God so silent? I think this is
something we all wonder. Why is God so silent? We pray often for God to tell
us what to do. And in some of our prayers we are telling God what to do. And
never once has an angel appeared to me or have I heard a voice with a
comforting message or instructions. But what I have experienced is this. The
overwhelming presence of God at certain points in my life. A sunrise, a song,
nature, friends, children, teachers, books these have all been ways God has
spoken to me.
The mystics tell us God is fairly shouting at us all the time.
The problem is that we have not developed the ears to hear or the eyes to see.
It is a sad and tragic thing that has happened in religion. Religious teachers
have spent all their time teaching us creeds and dogmas and catechism answers
when what we need is to learn how to hear God in the ordinary mundane events of
everyday life.. God speaks a unique language and if we haven't learned what it
is we can't hear her. I have found the first language of God is silence but God
also speaks in poetry, music, dance, beauty, nature. So, I think the job of
church is to help us hear more completely the voice of God. If you hear that
voice while cooking, swimming, walking the beach, dancing, fishing, sewing,
knitting, singing, practicing aikido, weeding your garden, patting your dog,
hugging your children, making love with your lover etc., go do those things as
much as you can. For as you get better at tuning in to God, the gifts of the
Spirit will be yours. Worry and anxiety will melt away. We are called to be at
peace and be peacemakers, the one who has loved us has brightened our way. This
is where fullness of life resides.
Question for
sharing: When/where do you hear/experience the Divine
Presence?
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