silence no longer

Once again we find ourselves looking back into time as we bring to mind the life of saint Leo the great, Pope and Doctor of the Church.

Here are several bits of wosdom from the Good Doctor and successor of Peter:

"Invisible in His own nature God became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, He chose to come within our grasp."

"For it is a sign, not of a modest, but an ungrateful mind, to keep silence on the kindnesses of God."


Just a few comments on the second bit of wisdom from St. Leo the Great
There are many moments where silence is necessary, in fact the only proper response. Silence is golden as we are told from early on. Often we are also remined that if you can't say anything kind then don't say anything at all.

Silence should be cherished and encouraged.

But there are moments when dutiful speech is required. If we do not speak then we only bring dishonor to ourselves. One such moment is when as St. Leo the great so eloquently puts it, whe we come across the kindness of God. These occassions demand that our voice be raised and the trumpet be sounded and God's goodness be proclaimed.

A task for us today is to take this to heart and left our vocie be raised and the let the prais eof God be upon our lips. Psalm 30 sums up the sentiment quite sufficiently, "You changed my mourning into dancing, you took of my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. that my soul might sing praise to you without ceasing; O Lord, my Godforever will I give you thanks."

We must suffer our muscles to exercise our voice so that the Goodness of God never falls on deaf ears, that being our own.

JEsus himself request this attitude in the gospel. Ten lepers met Jesus and from a distance they raised their voice in supplication, begging Jesus to come and act on their behalf. Jesus responds to their request, yet only one of the ten allowed his voice that was raised in supplication to be raised in thanksgiving.

Jesus' words ring true even today, "Ten were cleansed, were they not?" Were not ten vocies ringing out in supplication? Were not a multitude begging for my reach, my touch, my healing?

"Where are the other nine?"
Why is it we ringout out supplication, voice our need, yet seldom return a simple gesture or sigh of thanks.

Have we come to expect it? Are we so entitled that even gratitude falls mute in a heart of arrogance!

In the words of St. Leo the Great
"For it is a sign, not of a modest, but an ungrateful mind, to keep silence on the kindnesses of God!"

Stand up, speak out and let the heavens be filled with the echoes of gratitude.

a few words from our current Successor of Peter, Pope Benedict XVI

"Christ, our eternal high priest, daily unites our own sufferings, our own sacrifices, our own needs, hopes and aspirations, tot he infinite merits of his sacrifice. Through him, with him, and in him, we lift up our own bodies as a sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. In tis sense we are caught up in his eternal oblation, completing in our flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, the church."

Our sacrifices are always united to his Sacrifice and thus we encounter redemption. Perhaps this is enough to have a grateful attitude, a grateful heart that dares not to be silent any longer.