(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)
One common human tendency is to talk excessively and to explain ourselves to others, especially to justify our actions in their minds. This is especially the case when we sense that others misunderstand us. But Jesus experienced this to the greatest degree as He stood before Herod and Pilate. In these cases, He remained silent. This is a lesson for us in that there are many times when our Lord calls us to remain silent in the face of misunderstanding. Sure, there are other times when He calls us to speak freely and openly to another about our soul and our inner thoughts, but we must strive to discern His Will in each situation and know that silence, in certain situations, is what He calls us to. Remaining silent, at times, will produce more good fruit than an excess of words. Seek to imitate the silence of our Lord in those moments, trusting that He sees your soul and is pleased with you as you endure false perceptions and misunderstandings (See Diary #1164).
Are there times when you sense that others do not understand
you? This can be difficult and even
painful. Notice that in these moments
you may tend to look for ways to explain yourself to others and defend your
honor. But silence in those moments may
actually be what our Lord is calling you to embrace. Reflect upon Jesus, standing before Herod and
Pilate, and ponder His silence in the face of judgment. Know that you will also be called to endure
moments like this and, in accord with God’s mysterious Will, this act of
silence will win more grace for the salvation of souls than all the words you
could speak.
Lord, give me wisdom so
that I know when to speak and when to remain silent. I desire to imitate Your perfect silence and
to endure the misunderstandings that You endured. In these moments, give me grace to imitate
Your humility as I imitate You. Jesus, I
trust in You.
No comments:
Post a Comment