Listening in the Silence – A Meditative and Musical Offering
Today’s reading from Samuel, telling the origin story of our biblical hero, ends with the words of the prophet, ‘speak, Lord, for thy servant is listening‘. Samuel’s name in Hebrew, given to him by his mother Hannah, is derived from the verb ‘to listen’. Such is the task of a prophet, to hear the word of God, and hand it on to others, so that they may live it out. But the voice of God speaks in silence, as the later prophet Elijah discovered (1 Kings 19:11-13). In our world, so drenched in noise of all sorts, so many cannot hear God’s word, especially His voice in the depths of their heart and their conscience. Such trouble Blaise Pascal, who spends much of his Pensées warning against distraction – and this was in the world of the 17th century, without internet, smartphones, television, earbuds, continuous news streaming, and all the rest of it.
The priest this morning in our homily urged us to repeat the words of Samuel, especially if we wake up randomly in the middle of the night, but anytime, really, to spend time in silence, at home, on a walk, in church, to hear what God wants to speak to us. You may be surprised at what He has to say.
On that note, here are two renditions of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1964 poetic ballad The Sound of Silence. Sure, it’s not overtly religious, and still less Catholic, but the lines ‘the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they’d made‘ have always stuck with me. This was in the early era of television, and one can only wonder at what might now be said, with all the distracting idols that lead us away from the true God, who may Himself say the lines, ‘hear my words, that I might teach you‘.
A choir director once mentioned that music is more about the rests than the notes (see, for example, here) – that is, the silence between the notes, and there is much truth to that. We wait in anticipation, as God’s own harmony bursts forth upon the world.
And here is an updated, harmonic version by my favorites vocal group, Voces8:
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
Remembering Father Alphonse de Valk
(Today marks the sixth anniversary of the death of Father Alphonse de Valk, C.S.B., a faithful, courageous and indefatigable Basilian priest, pro-life-and-family apostle, and the founder of Catholic Insight magazine. Here is what we wrote those on his entering into eternity five years ago, as we continue to remember him in our prayers and thoughts)[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Canonizing Sister Faustina and Divine Mercy
HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER MASS IN ST PETER’S SQUARE FOR THE CANONIZATION OF SR MARY FAUSTINA KOWALSKA Sunday, 30 April 2000 1. “Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius”; “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever” (Ps 118: 1). So the Church sings on the Octave of[…]Continue reading→
Divine Mercy Sunday – An Echo of Every Mass
Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe’… ‘My Lord and my God!’ (Jn. 20:18)). Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, and as we celebrate the end of the Easter Octave, we contemplate the wounded side of our Saviour, the Church’s source of life. On Good Friday in the[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→
Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów
We celebrate Saint Stanislaus today (+ April 11, 1079), in light of this Easter Octave, a bishop and martyr who accepted the episcopacy only at the direct order of Pope Alexander II. He proved a wise and courageous leader of his flock, put to death by his own king, Boleslaus, for rebuking the monarch’s ‘immoral[…]Continue reading→