Silence and Solitude

THE INVITE POSTER announced the theme “The Silence and Solitude in Monfort’s Hymns.” Bro. Zerah Goh was the speaker from the Montfortian Gabrielite Associates of Singapore. The zoom forum was simultaneous with a youtube live stream and attended by 42 mixed clerical and lay Montfort associates from Canada, the Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. That Sis Ana Marie was moderating the meeting already hinted a smidgen of spirituality. The hint progressed into a humongous feast of insights from the eloquent and incisive Singaporean speaker. If I heard right that he was the first lay associate to talk on Montfortian matter augurs well for others outside the clergy as well-versed as he. I did not keep up with Montfort’s hymn numbers but took notes as happily as Bro. Zerah seemed to bask in his treatise so will simply offer here nuggets of his well-prepared and -thought-out presentation.

Silence is listening to the voice of creation. The God of silence beckons me to journey in my heart where He awaits me. Silence, therefore, is the movement from the head to the heart, where God’s presence is eternal and incarnate.

From what he said was wisdom of a fool pertaining to Christ, I surmised that is where Montfort coined his humble self-description worm.

We can only totally attain the presence of God if we are aware of Him. An awareness that is like seeing not the sky but the stars.

Silence is God’s first language; everything else that followed is a poor translation.

SILENT has all the letters of LISTEN. How profounder can you go than that?

Silence has wisdom, both being the glory and support of the soul. Close your heart to criticism and interjection in order to enter into silent wisdom.

Mary is the wonderful echo of God. And he marvelously demonstrated by doing a mountain shout “God, God, God! “And mimicked an echo coming back as “Mary, Mary, Mary!”

I was struck by his picture of the Holy Family reunited after a long, anxious search of the “lost” Jesus, with Mary’s ear cradled in His heart, evidently listening to it, which is why she pondered what He said in hers, and didn’t take offense to it. Another striking picture was that of the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she was going to be the mother of the Savior. Her right hand was held to her head, rightfully wondering the unlikeliness of it since she knew no man, yet her left hand was in her heart, ready to be an obedient handmaid of God.

The 4 Esses: Solitude (to long), Stillness (to wait), Silence (to listen), and Surrender (to live) for God alone.

In silence is the voice of Truth. Sis Ana beautifully squeezed in, “What the world needs now is the wisdom of silence.” With all the uncertainly and unnecessariness of noise, I had to agree. And then she mentioned St. Joseph, my patron and advocate! My mind was aswirl with majestic notions of including her just and immaculate spouse in the devotion to mother and Son.

With Bro. Zerah done, and after allowing the audience some meditative moments, Sis Ana Marie asked if anyone had clarificatory concerns. UtoLiza had one. She said that, with all the noise, and anxieties, and caring for her sick (with cancer) husband, she finds it difficult to be still and would appreciate a suggestion. Like he was expecting her concern, Bro. Zerah said that her case calls for a persevering prayer. For, he continued, the best prayer is where the pray-er is distracted but reflects on the distraction’s deeper layer and attends to it later. He was supported by Bro. Dominic (another Singaporean Gabrielite), obviously affected by UtoL’s predicament, who offered: In the face of tremendous suffering, loss, and grief, the best thing to choose is silence, active silence. Not having much to say but showing I’m here, with the touch of a hand, indicating the silence that we are invited to enter into. Bro. Zerah confirmed that with “There’s no need for words where presence is enough!”

Then Fr. Arnold announced that the next forum of this sort is on October 5, with the theme “The Secret of the Rosary” to be conducted by Fr. Richard Mag-araru. Afterward, Sis Ana Marie called on Ate Car to say the closing prayer and, after appreciating Bro. Zerah’s feat, through her signature acronym of his name, rendered to describe him, his calling, and mission, she requested Fr. Arnold to bestow the final blessing. After which, the gracious moderator, whose grace is never under pressure, for even in silence she speaks, reminded that it was the eve of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And we were truly blest.

Amen.