Posted Saturday 1 January 2011
For many of us the hymn which begins with this injunction, its words translated from the Liturgy of St. James by Gerard Moultrie, is a significant part of our regular Eucharistic devotion and praise.
For many years I have asked that it be used at the beginning of the Christmas Midnight Eucharist, as a preface to the Blessing of the Christmas Crib scene.
It is a most appropriate calling of the assembled worshippers to come, in quiet wonder, to the worship of the Incarnate Lord and in trust that we might experience a renewed realisation of the significance of this event of the gift of the Lord we are celebrating.
‘Let all mortal flesh keep silence’…….
After all the commercial cacophony which surrounds us in the pre-Christmas weeks - no matter how seriously we have sought to observe the Advent Season as a time of prayerful preparation – it would have been appropriate as we began our Christmas worship, to take a little time to ‘ponder nothing earthly minded’ and open our hearts to adore the one who comes ‘our full homage to demand.’
But offering prayerfully the words of ‘Let all mortal flesh….’ has its significance not only on the particular occasion of our celebrating the coming of the Lord at the first ‘Christmas’, but also, as we are well aware, on each and every occasion when we share in the celebration of the Eucharist, coming to receive the Sacrament,as Christ the Lord ‘gives to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food.’
I am writing this on 11th. , December 2010, after reading and hearing in the media incessant speculation as to who will win the ‘X Factor’ and also as to which song / music will be the Christmas number 1. I’m reminded of last year’s concerted attempts to ensure that the ‘X Factor’ winner’s song would not top the charts. I note that for Christmas 2010 one suggestion, much supported, is that people might seek to promote the composer John Cage’s 4’ 33’’ as Christmas number 1.
By the time you read this in January we’ll know the outcome.
4’33’’ - a three movement work for any combination of instruments - performed without a note being played. Four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence……during which the ‘hearers’ are to perceive the sounds of the environment……..
What might they have heard if the ‘piece’ were number 1 and the four minutes thirty three seconds of silence actually was experienced?
(I’ve had several interesting experiences and insights when radio or TV programmes have suddenly gone off the air and when, fortunately, no one on the programme production staff has rushed to supply the, seemingly obligatory, canned music to fill the gap with ‘soothing’ sound.
This reflection is not meant as a backward look at the end of 2010, but as a prospect for the New Year 2011. The beginning of a new year is traditionally a time for new resolutions - a very positive emphasis, but so often the good intentions are reneged upon within a few days.
Perhaps in this Epiphany Season 2011 (a longer observance this year because of the late dating of Easter) during which we reflect on and rejoice in the revelation that God’s coming in Christ is for all peoples, we, as the prayerful faithful, might take to heart again those injunctions in the Scriptures that we seek to ‘be still’ before the Lord, to ‘ watch and pray’ - that we might listen anew, with greater concentration and less distraction, for the Word of the Lord to address us - as Elijah experienced it (1 Kings, 19, v. 12) in the ‘still small voice’.
(My preferred translation of the passage here is ‘in the sound of a crushed silence.’)
I conclude by offering to you this particular ‘thought’ which, many years ago, I found printed as the text on one of the votive prayer cards produced by the sisters of the Community of St. Clare and which is a regular reminder to me of the positive benefit for our spiritual development and awareness there can be as we seek to ‘keep silence’ before the Lord and open ourselves to receive God’s word to us……..
‘…..it is in Stillness, in the Creativeness of Silence, that we know God.’
May Almighty God richly bless, uphold, guide, direct, instruct and renew us in this New Year of 2011.
Kenneth G. Stephen.
Category: Thought for the Month
