shut my mouth
"I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more." —Job 40:4-5
When we are in a storm (see Jb 38:1) and overwhelmed with problems, we should not try to talk God into helping us. He loves us more than we love ourselves. He doesn't need to be persuaded to love us (see Rm 8:32). Rather, when in a storm of problems, we should put our hands over our mouths and be quiet. We should seek silence — not the silence of despair, but the silence of listening to the Lord and trusting in Him. "It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord" (Lam 3:26).
The goal of life in Christ is not to "get the last word" but to get the "last silence." Problems are resolved not by working on them, but by entering into the presence of the Lord instead of the presence of the problems. "By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies" (Is 30:15). Words are to decrease while silence increases (see Jn 3:30). Silence is the language of the deepest love.
"There was silence in heaven for about half an hour" (Rv 8:1). Right now, ask for the grace to be silent for a few minutes, even a half hour. "Silence in the presence of the Lord God!" (Zep 1:7)
Prayer: Father...
Promise: "He who hears you, hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me. And he who rejects Me, rejects Him Who sent Me." —Lk 10:16
Praise: St. Therese lived by the motto, "Love is repaid by Love alone." She considered love to be her vocation.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet, Hearing God, or on audio AV 45-1 or video V-45.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 6, 2010
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