Why, Lord, do you remain Silent?

By Fr Casmir Odundo

One of the remarkable moments of the Pontificate of Benedict XVI was when he visited Auschwitz, the place of the massive holocaust of the Jews by the Germans. It was difficult for the German Pope to express himself. "To speak in this place of horror, in this place where unprecedented mass crimes were committed against God and man, is almost impossible - and it is particularly difficult and troubling for a Christian, for a pope from Germany," the then 79-year-old pontiff said. He went on to utter a spontaneous prayer to God "In a place like this, words fail; in the end, there can be only a dread silence, a silence which itself is a heartfelt cry to God: Why, Lord, did you remain silent?"

It is this same silence of God amid the Covid-19 pandemic that has prompted me to write this reflection.  Why Lord, do you remain Silent? It is now over six months since the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission in China reported the first case of the Novel Corona Virus. On 12^th March 2020, the Ministry of Health in Kenya reported the first Covid-19 case in Kenya. Since then numbers have been on the rise. Currently there are over 6. 42 million reported Covid-19 cases in the world with over 383,000 deaths. Among these 2,474 are found in Kenya with 79 deaths. As the numbers keep on increasing so have the prayers also kept on increasing. Many people have prayed. But God has remained silent. Is it that God has chosen to answer us with silence or are we the ones who have failed to discern His voice in this pandemic?

Scripture shows that sometimes God may deliberately answer us with Silence.  In the Book of Kings we have the experience of Prophet Elijah who met God in almost Silence. The Lord Said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.” (1 Kings 19:11-13)

In the wisdom Literature, we have of the experience of the Good Man Job. In his pain and suffering, he cried out to God. He asked for answers. And he kept asking. But for the first 37 chapters of the book of Job, his cries for God's help and relief were met only by God's deafening silence. Jesus also experiences the same Silence of God when he cried at the Cross: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" That is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt 27:46).  In the Book of Revelation, we are also told that there was Silence in heaven for thirty minutes when the seventh seal was opened. (Rev. 8:1).

The saints also encountered many moments of Silence. Many Hagiographers speak of it, using the words of St. John of the Cross as “The Dark Night of the Soul.” St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, is one saint who underwent this Dark Night of the Soul. In her autobiography, the Story of a Soul, she speaks of her Dark Night where she too felt the silence of God. Her dark night derived from doubt of the existence of eternity. She painfully suffered through this prolonged period of spiritual darkness, even declaring to her fellow nuns: "If you only knew what darkness I am plunged into..!” While this spiritual crisis is usually temporary, it may endure for a long time. The "dark night" of St. Paul of the Cross in the 18th century endured 45 years, from which he ultimately recovered.

St. Teresa of Calcutta: Silence of God led her to Dark Night of the Soul

The dark night of St. Teresa of Calcutta, endured the Dark night from 1948 almost until her death in 1997, with only brief interludes of relief, according to her letters. In one of her letters to her Spiritual Director written in 1979, she said, “Jesus has a very special love for you," she assured Van der Peet. "[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see,--Listen and do not hear--the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me--that I let Him have [a] free hand."

Yes God’s Silence can sometimes be deafening or even tormenting. It can sometimes lead to one feeling Spiritual Desertion or even “A dark night of the Soul.” However, Christian Optimism and hope gives us confidence to keep waiting for the Lord. “My Soul waits for the Lord, I hope in his Word.” (Psalm 130:5).

There is a nice hymn that has been accompanying me spiritually during these days. We were taught this hymn by one of the religious Sisters in the Junior Seminary (High School). I share it here, those who know it can sing along and for those who don’t know it, well you can meditate on its words.  The Song is titled, “Gentle as Silence” or “For the Love of the Lord is the Essence”:

GENTLE AS SILENCE

Oh, the love of my Lord is the essence

Of all that I love here on earth

All the beauty I see He has given to me

And His giving is gentle as silence.

Every day, every hour, every moment

Have been blessed by the strength of His love

At the turn of each tide,

He is there at my side,

And His touch is as gentle as silence.

There've been times when I've turned from his presence

And I've walked other paths, other ways

But I've called on His name in the dark of my shame

And His mercy was gentle as silence.

You can listen to this song here…

Finally, May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Silence, She who pondered these things in her heart (Lk 2:19)in Silence, intercede for us especially during this time.

The author is a Parochial Vicar at Mary Mother Of God Parish Kabarnet, Diocese of Nakuru. 

(You can reach him personally on email at casmirthomas28@gmail.com )

Please also read another article by Fr. Casmir on Silence at Mass.