Episode Timestamps
1:45 – 4:59 = Topic Introduction and Context
6:01 = Scenario of Having Dinner
20:20 – 21:13 = Restlessness During Silence
21:30 – 24:32 = Truth Beauty and Goodness
24:33 – 24:46 = Closing
Silence – A Virtue of St Joseph
- St Joseph’s silence is the vehicle where God the Father’s voice is heard in scripture.
He knows his place, and his role.
Silence is a space where anything can happen, Silence prepares us for something. It’s not empty but clear and. Silence is the space that invites us into something else.
Check in point of how we view Joseph, but also ourselves:
Imagine the scenario – sitting down for dinner with the most perfect woman who ever existed, and the child who is God made man? Every day of the week…
- Do you think ‘ouff! Talk about a tough gig’? – Talk about sins being laid bare every day, pricking conscience, imperfections brought to the forefront,
- OR – Is it more like – Cool! I get to learn so much from these two every moment of every day, how fun! So much joy!
OR somewhere in between – What does this image say about you and your relationship with God at the moment, in this season AND where does it stem from?
BUT
- What Joseph shows us is to go to God and be silent – don’t babble every time. What we need, God cares about so deeply and in such detail, but also we need to just go and listen too. Because He loves us enough to listen to us, and so we need to love Him and try to listen to Him too.
Joseph’s silence isn’t passive.
What of this can we emulate?
- Silence is fertile soil – it’s not empty. How often do we go to God and sit and talk, and talk and talk…
- However, there is much value in the baby talk! Don’t stop talking, but do start listening in silence – an active silence.
- A silence which is both active and passive – actively listening to the voice of the Father, and receiving that voice into our hearts. The reception of this voice enables us to be like Joseph, a vehicle of God’s voice in the world.
- Silence has the effect of allowing growth. Things grow in silence. We grow in silence.
Practical Application
- Perhaps we can identify some of these distractions in our lives: TV, video games, music, sport, even friendships and relationships can be distractions if we go to them to avoid moments of silence where God can begin to speak.
- Find a place – corner of your room – as a place of silence.
- How to cope in the restlessness – acknowledge the restlessness. Offer it to God. Invite the Lord into it as the topic.
Referenced Book
TBG
Padre – Mercy at a nursing home
Stina – Everlasting Love (poetry) – Devona Fayana
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