Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (2022-2023)

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

There are times when it seems as God has packed up, moved far away, and left no forwarding address.

In that time, it is difficult to sense His presence.

It can feel like we have been abandoned: In those moments, it is easy to become confused and frustrated.

In spiritual life these moments exists, and are extremely important and needed.

Those who experience one of those times when God is silent, should remember that is not a second-tier, second-rate Christian.

If God is silent there is a reason for that.

Look, In today's world, silence seems to make us uneasy.

We are used to constant noise and distractions.

We talk, even in Church we need to keep special reminders because we bring that habit here.

Silence feels uncomfortable because it brings us face-to-face with our thoughts and emotions.

But The Silence from God, is actually the moment where we can have have our faith and trust strengthen.

The Bible is full of examples of people who continued to trust God in their circumstances.

One example is Abraham and Sarah about whom we hear in our first reading.

Abraham in now 99 years Old.

He has not heard from God until this time for 13 years since the Hagar incident in the previous chapter.

Since that time it has been a long silent period of some 156 quiet months.

God has not spoken to him. Abram has not heard from God.

But when He Appeared, He changed Abram’s and Sarai’s names to Abraham and Sarah, instituted the mark of circumcision, and gave the promised that made Abraham laughing of being that in his age.

The time of silence is not not wasted.

For God the silence is also a state of communication with us. God’s silence is not always a bad thing.

God speaks also through not speaking to us, It it to encourage just to wait.

We do not need to be Active 24/7, sometimes He is asking us to stop and think where the motivations are coming from, Is it truly God’s mission? A good question, right - or maybe it is mine??

God’s silence isn’t a sign that He turns His backs on us.

Instead, it’s an invitation to press forward and seek Him even harder.