Rest & Quiet in God's Presence (2015-02-01)

Sunday February 1, 2015

4^th Sunday Ordinary Time

[__01__]    This Sunday, in the Gospel episode  in the synagogue, our Savior meets a man for whom REST and QUIET are absent, non-existent.

We read that there is a man possessed by an unclean, impure spirit.  A man whose life is out of control. The man himself has no power over the evil spirit.

And, we might – ALSO / in a sense / – admit that there exist evil spirits or idols over which we could be powerless.

(  In such a case, REST and QUIET in God’s presence can have a greater value than our own activity…. Or at least REST and QUIET in God’s presence, in cooperation with God’s activity and our efforts… )

[__02__]  The choice between what is “good” and what is “evil” may involve more than a consideration of what we see on the surface…

For example, while many of us –– might hope for (dream of) greater wealth …or at least a COMFORT granted by such wealth, this COMFORT could also be an idol that we worship.

In this regard, a person of simple means (without wealth) – even impoverished – might possess a personal freedom and contentment than a rich person. 

We read in the Book of Proverbs:

“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.”  (Proverbs 28:6)

Also…    “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”  (Proverbs 22:1)

For a very wealthy person could lose his or freedom in the activity – in the action – of accumulation.  Comfort is now the golden calf, all the silver and gold is melted into it.

Then, this idol become one’s faith and hope and love instead of God.

Thus, “wealth” itself is not bad. Even St. Paul wrote that it is … “the love of money which is the root of all evil….”,(1 Timothy 6:10) with emphasis on this love/attachment to material things.

[__03__]   Or, while some of us might dream of high – or higher – grades in school, in academics, is it not possible that that the HONOR and ACCLAIM associated with superior performance could also be an idol.

The trophy at every championship … is not revered, held tenderly, embraced… even kissed.

We could lose ourselves – perhaps lose our soul – in the activity.

And, in our pursuit of ACCLAIM or HONOR as an idol.

[__04__]     I just use these as examples.

Of course, by our regular prayer and thanksgiving to God, we can avoid such extremes, such excess, the sins of such pride.

[__05__]  And, in Psalm 95 and in the Gospel today, we are cautioned about the “weather conditions” and “spiritual conditions symptoms” that can lead to such idols, such unclean spirits in our lives.

[__05.01-Psalm 95__] 

Our psalm today reminds us of rest and quiet in God’s presence also

We might recall that Psalm 95 was composed as a remembrance of the Hebrew people’s long and difficult journey through the desert, their journey of many years from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Upon reaching the Promised Land…then, they could rest …of course, they also rested along the way. But, at times, they were a people of unrest, anxiety, spiritually and physically.  And, at times, they were not very quiet.

This also happens to us in our journeys and projects.

In fact, the Hebrew people manifested some fear of the dark and of quiet. Recall that once Moses had climbed – ascended – Mount Sinai and remained there for 40 days, they could not bear the silence, the absence of their leader.

We read in Exodus …. “when the people became anxious of Moses’ delay in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “come make us a god who will be our leader, as for the man Moses, who has brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.””

[__05.02-Gospel__] 

QUIET. Of the possessed man, we might understand that he lacked this quiet.

The evil spirit, the idol, in your life and my life does not favor quiet time.

C.S. Lewis reflected that the devil, the evil spirit, favors noise and spurns the quiet. And, isn’t it sometimes, true that we are pressured by peers or vulnerable to temptation when we are in the surround sound of activity or messaging or messages.

Jesus urged, first, to the evil spirit …. “Quiet” …or “Be quiet” when they had tried to speak to him, when they call his name.

[__06__]    In Psalm 95, the Hebrew people are also invited to bow down, to kneel before the Lord, to quiet, this brings peace.

Quiet is a beginning but not an end.

Jesus also asks for REST rather than tension.

Our muscles and bodies need this, so do our souls and minds.

We read in the Gospel also that the man was in physical convulsions

We are also called to rest, to stillness before God, as we read in Psalm 95, “harden not your heart”.

This is also a message about attentiveness, listening, peace and quiet, rest, so that we can welcome the Lord into our lives.    [__fin__]