THE VOICE OF SILENCE

*This homily is dedicated to the 44 Brave Heroes who lost their lives so that we will live.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 1, 2015

Dt.18:15-20; Ps.95; 1 Cor.7:32-35; Mk. 1:21-28

We have heard a lot of voices during the 5 day apostolic visit of Pope Francis to our country. For sure, each of one of us has a “favorite voice” that until now continues to play in our minds. Probably, for those who do not like the Church, they will always remember the voice of the President during his speech in front of the Pope in Malacañang. For netizens, they would probably like to hear again and again via Youtube the voice of Sem. Kenneth Rey Parsad, the “cute responsorial psalm guy” at the Manila Cathedral. But I am sure, most of us cannot forget and will forever remember the voice of Papa Francisco.

In our Gospel today, we also heard a lot of voices. We heard the voice of the people who were astonished with the words of Jesus and amazed by his actions, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” We also heard the voice of the unclean spirit who was knowledgeable about Jesus, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” And of course, we heard the authoritative voice of Jesus, “Quiet! Come out of him!”  After hearing a lot of voices since the day of our birth until now, we ask ourselves, “To whose voice should I listen?”

Our first reading taken from the Book of Deuteronomy has given us the answer. We should listen to the voice of the Prophet! For Moses has said that through the Prophet who shall come from our race, God will put his words into the prophet’s mouth and through him, he shall tell us all of God’s commands. Yes, we have indeed heard the prophet’s voice – Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through the Scriptures that we read, we are able to listen to the voice of Jesus. However, let us not forget that even in silence, God continues to speak to us. In silence, we can and even more listen to the voice of God. Pope Francis himself has said that “sometimes we have to forgo of answers and to remember that silence is often the best response of the wise.” And so, let us remember that when at times in our lives the evil spirit possesses us through problems and difficulties, let us listen to the voice of God in the silence of our hearts.

That is why for us to be able to truly listen to the voice of God especially in moments of difficulty, the Apostle Paul in our second reading today reminds us that we must be free from anxieties so that we will not be distracted in our relationship with the Lord.

And only when we are free from anxieties can we truly respond to our responsorial psalm today which challenges us that if “today, you hear his voice, harden not your hearts!”

Until today, the nation mourns for the brutal killing of 44 members of the police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. We have heard a lot of voices asking for justice, peace, and solution to the crisis. Wives, children, and relatives are crying to the top of their voices because they cannot simply accept such a painful reality. We have heard a lot of voices either criticizing the President or pinpointing whose fault it was.

No single voice can fully explain the “whys” of this tragedy. However, Pope Francis, in his homily in Tacloban, before the victims of supertyphoon Yolanda, has taught us a very important lesson – “I come to tell you that Jesus is Lord and He never lets us down. Father, you might say to me, I was let down because I have lost so many things, my house, my livelihood. It’s true, if you would say that, and I respect those sentiments, but JESUS THERE NAILED TO THE CROSS, AND FROM THERE, HE DOES NOT LET US DOWN. JESUS IS LORD AND THE LORD FROM THE CROSS IS THERE FOR YOU.”

No single voice can console a grieving wife of a SAF policeman. No single voice can restore the life of a father who lost his family during typhoon Yolanda. No single voice can comfort the pain of the parents of Kristel, who died during the Papal Visit in Tacloban. But our Pope has reminded us of one silent voice who never lets us down – Jesus Christ. And only by sharing in his cross, can we truly listen to his voice, for up on the cross, there was the voice of silence – LOVE.

Eternal rest, grant unto all 44 SAF police and all victims of war, O Lord, and welcome them into your kingdom, may they rest in peace, Amen!