Thursday, May 5, 2016

Do Not be Silent

"One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you." Acts 18:9

People who have visions are always suspect. Cautious around anything that is different, most of us are more comfortable around people just like us. When someone tells us of a vision they had we might be polite, but we often become unnaturally quiet. Is the person to whom we are listening losing control of his life? Is she making things up in order to set herself apart?

When St Paul lived, he would not have been immediately dismissed when he claimed a vision in which the Lord spoke to him, but he would have been put under intense scrutiny. The Jewish leaders would have questioned him to see if his vision conformed to the Torah and would have rejected him if anything seemed out of line.

In all of this, we must not miss the point of what was happening to Paul. Jesus was clear that Paul need not be afraid and should not silent. Jesus promised Paul to be with him and promises us the same comfort. We are never alone. Whether this message comes to us in a vision or a quiet prayer is not the issue. That God promises to be our companion throughout life is.

Today, pay attention to God however he speaks in your life.

Has God ever spoken to you clearly about the path you should follow?

1 comment:

  1. I am still so grateful for your blog. Read it more sporadically than I should, but it is so comforting knowing it is only a click away. Thank you so very much for keeping me connected to what is now becoming a distant memory of homilies/reflections I took for granted back in the day. You are the best and you have such a gift....

    ReplyDelete

Please be discreet in your comments. I will monitor the comments, and only exclude those that are patently offensive.