Ssshhhhhh....please be silent

"...listen to me; be silent while I teach you wisdom". - Job 33:33

Silence. Often times it can speak louder than words. At times silence can be comforting and other times it can be quite uncomfortable. I do not do well with silence. I find that I always require constant noise. If you are like me, you have a very busy life, filled with people who want or need your time and attention. It can get pretty noisy. And if you’re like me, you probably do not take as much silent time as you should…time with no phone, TV, computer, or music.

A while ago, I saw a movie that was the epitome of silence. The movie was entitled, “Into Great Silence,” and, boy, was I taken into that silence. The movie was about the French Carthusian Order of monks. The movie reflected on their lives and their devotion to God in the purest form, through contemplation and silence. The movie was almost three hours long and, aside from two minutes, was in complete silence. For the first half of the movie I couldn’t do anything but move about, shift in my chair, or text message my friend next to me. The silence was literally killing me. But after I finally settled into a hypnotic state, I began thinking about the silence and all the times that God spoke to me in the quiet. But, like sitting in the silent movie theater, I really had to listen and focus on what God was saying to me in my daily life, though often times I did not want to hear it.

When we do not listen to God and are not silent, we find that He has to shock or scare us to get our attention. Yet, when we sit back and listen, as uncomfortable as it may be from time to time, He can speak volumes to our hearts. God grows in silence. Yet, often times we push that silence aside. But it is in the times we are silent, God often teaches us how to live our lives. And sometimes, it is in that silence when we realize our vocation.

I challenge you to sit in silence, struggle through it, and listen to what God can teach you. God bless.

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP - UNSHAKABLE!

Today is Low Sunday, Dominicana In Albis, Quasi Modo Sunday, the Second Sunday of our Easter celebration, and of course, Divine Mercy Sunday. Here is a faith shot in the arm to help you celebrate!




IN OTHER NEWS:

R.B. has graciously begun the construction of the Adam’s Ale domain. (THANKS!) I’m excited. There is not much there yet but if you want to see it: http://www.adamsale.org/

The greatest secret the Church ever tried not to keep: it’s social justice teaching. Here is a site that I accidentally stumbled upon if this interests you.

This is too cool! Kaz from NY sent this site. It is a twenty four hour media stream of the Vatican. Wait! Is that Fr. O. I see? Shouldn’t he be studying?

http://mediastream.vatican.va/mpeg4lan.sdp

The Diocese of Cleveland E-newsletter sends this link for Catholic job hunters.

Finally:

On Friday night, a few priests, seminarians, and a bunch of friends went to go see “Into Great Silence” here in Cleveland. I recommend the following if you are going to go see it.

First, for anyone over six feet (as I am) be prepared. I went to go see the four-hour Hamlet a number of years ago. I was much better prepared. I brought pillows to be comfortable through it. Theater seats were not designed for us. Bring a pillow or two. It will make the event much more enjoyable.

We were in one of the smaller screening rooms and it was pretty much packed. When we left it was not only dark outside, the rest of the theater was dark and abandoned. We should have gone out and talked after but it was late and (some of us) were tired. But consider having time to discuss the movie afterwards. As I bump into people or hear from them by Email the big question is, "So what did you think?" It would have been great to be able to talk about what each of us took away from the experience that night.

Prepare yourself to see this film. Go intending to contemplate as if praying for it is a beautiful, contemplative film! But don’t go expecting to see “a movie” as such.

And be wary if you join this order and they hand you a blue habit.

I hope you enjoy!

MAN'S BEST FRIEND

Was it not fascinating to see how something meant as a compliment could be construed as a negative and so put those who meant only to be complimentary on the defensive? Such was the case over the last day in the comment section after a simile was used between the pope and a German shepherd. Once a term is thus attacked, the choice for the user is either to distance himself from such a statement (and perhaps the idea behind it) or to defend it as perfectly fine despite the brouhaha that may ensue.

A similar instance has taken place on a large scale over the word (and the concept behind) dogma. Poor creature! The once proud and noble beast has fallen into disfavor in many circles and been chased to kennel where it need not bother anyone. It is a sad state of affairs since dogma is not a bad beast at all despite the protestations of those who are allergic to its dander. That some may be allergic to her in no way makes her not useful even to the very ones that have a dislike for her.

In last Sunday’s NY Times Magazine article on Pope Benedict the XVI it stated that for him growing up, “’Dogma’ was not a dirty word – it was the ground. ‘Dogma’ was conceived not as an external shackle but as the living source that made knowledge of truth possible in the first place.” It is the very means by which man can advance in understanding and truth for if we must begin over again with every person in every generation, we will never move forward. If every man must reinvent the wheel in his own time, we will never have bicycles.

In the “Screwtape Letters” by C. S. Lewis, a senior tormentor writes to his nephew, “Since we cannot deceive the whole human race all the time, it is most important thus to cut every generation off from all others for where leaning makes for free commerce between the ages, there is always the danger the charictoristic error of one will be corrected by the charictoristic truth of another. But thanks be to our father and the historical point of view, great scholars are as little nourished by the past as the most ignorant mechanic who holds that history is bunk. Your affectionate Uncle, Screwtape.”

Dogma is another name for discovered truth. That others find that idea appalling or a detriment to their freedom is a non-issue. Allow such to reinvent the wheel if they so choose. But true freedom is to venture from this lofty point ever further into truth built upon revelation and the mighty shoulders of the great minds that have been before us. Do not be afraid or ashamed of dogma. It is a serviceable beast!

John W. Dixon Jr. says, “Christians stubbornly clung to their language even when it could be said that they really didn’t understand it. (And the sad thing is that, now when we are about to acquire the intellectual means for understand the terminology, a failure of nerve has set in and many Christians are abandoning the terminology.)”

But it need not be that way.

IN OTHER NEWS

“Into Great Silence” opens this week at the Cedar Lee. (I hope it is as good as all of the hype it has been receiving. I’ll be there this Friday at the 7:45 showing. See you there!

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP VI

This one is a little odd I will grant you. But maybe it will spark some thought. It is called "Sin".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf5f6n8Joq0

C.B. sends along this link and recommends it for people who are discerning direction in life.

Habemus Papem reports that the Cedar Lee Theater in Cleveland has begun advertizing for the movie "Into Great Silence" opening on April 13th!

The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland E-newsletter included this link for a virtual tour of our Diocesan Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist.

Happy Palm Sunday!

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP VI (or) QUIET ON THE SET!

Markus sent word from the Eternal City that a great movie is coming our way, "Into Great Silence." This week's Sunday Video On Tap will take you to a site that has an explanation of the movie as well as a trailer. (Why do they call them "trailers" if they come before the movie?)

http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=intogreatsilence

Habemus Papam noticed that over on "For God, For Country, and for Yale," he has a link (found here) with information about where this film will be showing in the United States.

Clevelanders will be happy to know that it is coming to the Cedar Lee Theatre on April 13th. The Cedar Lee is a mere twenty minute drive west from good ole' Saint Clare.

In other news, the Saint Rose Young Adult Group mailed out this link as a good place to find Catholic resources.

The Diocese of Cleveland in their weekly on-line bulletin sent out this link for a Catholic news service.

And Finally - Here a couple of posts for those looking for a different angle to the contraception debate. The first is from Adoro Te Devote and the second from Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering.

God bless & Happy Sunday