Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Today the Church celebrates St. John of the Cross, contemplative, poet, and mystic. This doctor of the Church has a lot to teach us today in our distraction-filled society. Time and again the saint stressed the importance of silence. “What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love,” he once said.
In today’s gospel passage, the generation that Jesus addresses would really benefit from practicing silence, holding their tongue, and simply listening to what Jesus had to say and teach.
How do you practice silence? Are you able to silence your heart to listen to God’s voice? During this often busy, noisy, and hectic holiday season, let us make time to practice silence, preparing our hearts for the coming of the Messiah, so that we may love him with silent love.