Daily Thought For December 19, 2017

Listen In The Silence Of Your Heart

Imagine how difficult it must have been for Zechariah to remain silent for nine long months. How could he conduct business? How could he minister as a priest? How could he relate to his wife, Elizabeth? Scripture gives us little insight into how Zechariah spent that time, but we can be sure he spent a good portion of it learning patience and trust in God.

Whatever Zechariah did, it’s clear that God used this time to prepare him for his role as father of John the Baptist. Raising any child is a challenging venture, so imagine how much higher the stakes were here: Zechariah had to form the new Elijah, the herald of the Messiah. It’s a good thing he had a prolonged period of silence and reflection!

Catholic author and poet Caryll Houselander once talked about the blessings of silence this way: “God speaks silently, God speaks in your heart; if your heart is noisy, chattering, you will not hear.” It’s in silence that we can become aware of our emptiness and our longing for the Lord. Spending too much time caught up in the noise and clutter of the world can dull our spiritual senses. It can make us think that we are fulfilled and satisfied when we may be just bouncing from one distraction to the next. It’s only in silence and emptiness that we can allow the Lord to fill us and speak to us.

In these few days before Christmas, make it a point to seek out the Lord in silence. Maybe you can steal a few moments before the tabernacle during adoration or before the crèche in your home. Don’t say much; just picture Jesus sitting with you, and rest in his presence. It may not appear that anything is happening. You may feel nothing dramatically changing in you. But if you keep this up over time, you won’t be disappointed. God will speak to you. He will bring you peace. He will assure you of his love. He loves to spend time with you!

After John was born, Zechariah’s “mouth was opened,” and he sang God’s praises (Luke 1:64). His silence filled him with joy and confidence in the Lord. The same can happen for each of us as we wait before our God in silence.


“Lord, help me to seek you and find you in the silence of my heart.”

Daily Reflection from The Word Among Us (www.wau.org)