However, I married a man that values silence or quiet immensely in his daily life and especially in regards to religious celebrations and holidays. That is certainly not to say that he doesn't enjoy being surrounded by family. He just doesn't like all the extra distracting noise that often times comes with the Christmas season (especially incessant chipmunk versions of Christmas carols blasting across every radio station).
I tend to get caught up in the noise--it helps provide the excitement I sometimes don't feel as I do chores around the house, or in the case of music, it almost keeps me company at times. I have to work to value silence and to create silent times in my life. Once I do, I love it. I just have to stop the continual whir in my head for long enough to relax, and then the silence is, quite honestly, heavenly.
If you're like me, perhaps you too will find this reflection by the Bishop of Aberdeen to be just about perfect as I did.
Things that struck me from the article linked above:
- The Kierkegaard quotation: "And even if it were trumpeted forth with all the panoply of noise so that it could be heard in the midst of all the other noise, then it would no longer be the Word of God."
- Wow!!! Yet, so true. God is not a commercial product to be advertised. He is a person to be known and adored. I think this phenomenon is why the "facebook b/t Joseph and Mary" video bothers me so much. It almost trivializes the Birth of Christ to have Him announced the way any party or product would be at this time of year. God sent angels to sing His praise. The least I can do is to sing His praise with my family--reading the story of the Incarnation to my little guy, placing our nativity set in a place of honor, and distancing myself from the temptation to materialism that threatens to invade every gift given to honor a friendship or loved one.
- The verse from Wisdom 18:14-15, "When a deep silence covered all things and night was in the middle of its course, your all-powerful Word, O Lord, leapt from heaven's royal throne."
- As a confirmed logophile, I can't even express how beautiful this imagery is! It rivals anything drawn by the best poets of our language.
- As a Christian, I find so much to reflect on here that in the midst of silence and night, God speaks His saving Word. And He speaks it with a joy that leaps to take a humble place as a lowly human in a stable. How much more should I be jumping to seize opportunities for humility and service in my life if this is my model and my Creator??
- The reflections on praying before and after Mass.
- For many years this too was my constant habit. I craved the time for reflection before and after receiving my Lord and Savior. Now, we're lucky to get to Mass several minutes beforehand and get JT somewhat settled before the service starts. At the end, JT is ready to sprint out the door (and so is whichever parent he has frustrated the most during Mass as we try to teach him to be still and quiet during Mass). I still desire that time for reflection, but I'm not sure that I'm going to get it at Mass while my children are little. It's starting to make more and more sense why my mom has sacrificed sleep for years to wake up early to pray and work out--if that's really a priority and need in her life, that's the only time it's going to happen!
- "Christ looks for silence."
- This Christmas I'm going to seek to give the Christ-child a silent heart. A heart that is waiting for Him expectantly and without murmuring voices of complaint, sarcasm, and criticism sneaking in to invade. And I think that will take more preparation for me in this last week than all my other gifts combined . . .
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