1.0. THE LONELY PLACE
“When Jesus heard of
the death of John the Baptist, He withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely
place apart.” Imagine the debt of sorrow and distress Jesus had to bear in the
face of human wickedness! And relate it to how many people today are frustrated,
heartbroken, and other forms of emotional distress. Jesus withdrew from the noise—from
the people and His ‘ordinary activity’ of the day—and went to a quiet place to
stay alone. Within that ‘silent place’, He would drink the cup of sorrow to the full
and conquer it. He would step out of it, re-energized and satisfied.
Think about the ‘wine
and milk of satisfaction’ that Isaiah offered in the first reading. Such satisfaction
can be likened to the freshness of heart we get when we step
in with Jesus into ‘the place of silence.’ Isaiah said, “Incline your ear, and
come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you and
everlasting covenant...” This inner peace is given freely, to everyone who
thirsts, at no cost! Jesus has sanctified the ‘place of silence’ as necessary
for healing hurts and finding inner satisfaction.
2.0. THE CROWDS FOLLOWED HIM
Suddenly, Jesus’ quiet
moment was disrupted; they crowds found Him out. This ‘demanding crowds’ can be
compared to ‘distractions’ in prayer. Many people run away from meditation
because they just cannot concentrate. Once they step into the room of silence ‘Crowds of thoughts’
would step in and dislodge their concentration. These ‘attention seekers’ would
want to sap the energy we got from the ‘wine and milk’ we drank in the room of meditative silence. So, from His
lonely place, Jesus stepped out with deep compassion for the crowds and
attended to them. What ordinarily came as a distraction to His quiet time
became ‘an action of God’ among the people. This ‘action of God’, which they
felt in the authority of His teaching and the healing of the sick, would grow
into providing satisfaction to the crowds.
3.0. “AND THEY ALL ATE AND WERE SATISFIED”
The disciples had
three complains: 1. It was evening; darkness would soon descend, so the people
should be dismissed as soon as possible. 2. It was a lonely place; they had
nowhere to get help. 3. The crowds were too many; the number of ‘mouths to feed’
was more than their resources, which were five loaves and two fish! Note that
each of these ‘obstacles’ was enough for Jesus to give up. But the energy of His
deep compassion, which is rooted in the silence of the heart, was stronger than the weakness the obstacles represent.
Therefore, “And taking
the five loaves and the two fish He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke
and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the
crowds.” The first response a contemplative heart gives to the weakness of
others is ‘compassion.’ Love will always find a way out. The compassionate response
of Jesus transformed the bread and fish into a 'concrete action of God’ as the
crowds ate to their satisfaction. The beauty of this action illumined the
darkening evening, and turned the ‘lonely place’ into a garden of refreshment.
But this sublime and awesome act would lead any honest heart that tasted the
meal to contemplate Jesus. Here, the heart continues to ‘feed’ on Jesus in
silence.
4.0. THE HEART OF SILENCE
A heart that ‘feeds’
on Jesus, in silent meditation, cannot be lonely; it is warm, peaceful and
compassionate. It is a heart that has fallen in love with Jesus. It is a
Eucharistic heart that clings to Jesus like the Beloved Disciple at the Last
Super. Nothing can separate such a one from Jesus. Whether he is busy or
resting, in tribulation, distress, persecution or in need, he is “more than a
conqueror through Him who loved us.” This binding love we have in Christ Jesus
is stronger than any principalities or human weakness. Through meditation, our
heart becomes a ‘lonely place’, where we enter (with coordinated attention on
the word of God) to encounter Jesus in silence.
As you have joined in
THE SOUND OF SILENCE meditation this Sunday, may God satisfy the yearnings of your heart and quench your thirsts. May He renew His love in you so that you are
more than a conqueror in every challenges you may face. May Almighty God bless +
you, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday August 2nd, 2020.
