HOLY WEEK SILENCE

SILENCE IN THE BIBLE A SPIRITUAL-LITURGICAL COMMITMENT FROM THE HOLY WEEK (NO. 1)

The betrayal kiss of Judas to Jesus was welcomed with humble silence by Jesus Christ, then He was arrested by the crowd armed with sword and clubs (cfr. Mk.14:43-52). In this situation and similar ones Jesus Christ remained silent (cfr. Mk.14:60-61a,65, even Peter’s denial vs.66-72; 15:3-5; Mt.26:69-75; 27:11-14) which ordinarily He would have said something. This is a Divine lesson which calls for Spiritual-Liturgical cognizance and profound reflections over our life and relationship with Him as God. Silence comes from the Latin word, silens- silentium, meaning to be still, quiet, or at rest. It may still mean: calm, peace, serenity, tranquility, poise, composure, noiselessness, hush, and solitude. Therefore, it is always good to stop and reflect over our lives personally or as a group for those who may find it extremely difficult to make a personal reflections of life or retreat throughout their life time as a way of prayer session that is directed by yourself as an individual. Spiritual silence entails alertness in the mind and heart so as not to sleep over the spiritual matters which governs the personality. If you are agile in silence you are able to overcome trials which creep into your spiritual-liturgical and moral life, for this will make the flesh to be fortified as not to succumb to the desires that draw us towards our weaknesses.

Christ calls us for consciousness of this silence and yet active in totality of life for He returned and found the three disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Weren’t you able to stay awake for even one hour? And He said to them, “Keep watch, and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak-Vigilate et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem. Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro vero infirma” Mk. 14: 37-38; Lk.22:46; Mt.26:40-46. In silence prayer we are able to meet or rather experience the presence of God in our lives as to say something to Him if not we remain without knowing what to say, this is evident here;  Then He came back to the disciples and found them asleep, they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to say to Him... Mk.14:40-41.

The Holy Week ushers us into the Spiritual-Liturgical silence with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and a movement with Him to the Place of the skull- Calvary or Golgotha Mk.15:22; Jn.19:17. All the four Gospel account record that Jesus Christ was crucified at the Place of a Skull or The Skull Lk.23:32. The King James Version and New King James renders Skull in its Latin form Calvary in Luke 23:33. The Gospel of  Matthew, Mark and John tell us the name of the place where Jesus was crucified was Golgotha an Aramaic word translated into Greek as Place of a Skull, Greek: Cranion while Latin Calvariae and English cranium. The Aramaic word is taken from the Hebrew root or word that means, to roll which may denote the rolling shape of Golgotha that suggests a skull appearance. This place can as well show the spiritual quietness of the sepulcher or grave yard. Therefore, in this period the most greatest silence in the Bible shows itself in the Triduum. Be it as it may, we are reminded of these in Holy Week:

H – HOLINESS is the first thing ever that ought to preoccupy us all.

O – OBEDIENCE to God by keeping the commandments draws us near to God.

L – LEAVING the Will of God to surface prominently in our lives.

Y – YEARNING always for the deep sincere love of silent prayer.

W – WITH the constant following of Christ to the Cross we appreciate Him more in those who suffer unjustly from the hands of others.

E – EXPRESS an unconditional love to Him who is Love Himself, God-man.

E – EMPTY yourself for others in sincere silent life.

K – KNOW that Christ invites us all for the life of sacrifice for others. 

The reality of the Holy Week starts with the Palm or Passion Sunday celebration. It is Palm Sunday in the sense that the Triumphant entrance of Christ is welcomed by His Kingly nature whereby palms, olives branches and cloths are spread on the ground along the way in which He passes by with the donkey, a humble and laborious animal cfr. Mt.21:8-11, and people acclaiming His Sovereignty and saving nature by shouting Save us O Lord-Hosanna (acceperunt ramos palmarun et processerunt obviam ei et clamabant: Hosanna, benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, re Israel)Jn.12:13 while as Passion Sunday, the Hosanna brings out the silent reality of His redeeming nature through scourges and suffering encountered; yet He was deeply SILENT as He accomplish his saving mission as a victim, oblation and gift pouring out His Blood, His Life, for our salvation on Calvary or Golgotha on the Cross; where He served and saved us as an Eternal and High Priest by His Love and Compassionate Words-Eucharistic Mk.14:24, Forgiveness Iesus autem dicebat vero: Pater, dimitte illis; non enim sciunt faciunt-Jesus said: Father forgive them for do not know what they are doing Lk.23:34 and eschatological promise – Et dixit illis Iesus: Amen, dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in Paradiso- Amen, I say unto you, today you will be with Me in Paradise Lk.23:43 to us all and symbolized also in the promise to the good thief. Breaking the great silence once again because everything s about to be realized as the Bible has it, Postea sciens Iesus quia omnia consummate sunt, ut consummaretur Scriptura, dixit: SITIO-Jesus knew that by now everything has been completed, and in order to make the Scripture come true, he said I AM THIRSTY Jn.19:28. The executioners gave him a cheap and sour wine Cum ergo accepisset Iesus acetum, dixit: Consummatum est. Et, inclinator capite, tradidit spiritum-Jesus therefore accepted and drank the wine and said: It is finished Jn.19:30 in great anguish he cried out and commended His Spirit to the Father, Et clamans voce magna Iesus ait: Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum-Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit Lk.23:46 this brought about the breaking of the temple’s curtain from top to hem Et ecce velum temple scissum est in duas partes a summon usque deorsum, et terra mota est, et petrae scissae sunt et monumenta aperta sunt, et multa corpra sanctorum qui dormierant surrexerunt-Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of God’s people who had died were raised to life Mt.27:51 in silence spiritually and liturgically too.