Silence is powerful.

The man in today’s Gospel was given the “gift” of silence by none other than a demon. I know, it sounds weird, how can a demon provide a gift of grace? Well, according to scripture, we know that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). And so, even though the man’s mouth was muted, his voice would be used to show God’s glory. While he waited, he was to remain silent.

St. Vincent Ferrer, a Saint well known for his preaching abilities once said, “learn to be silent for a time; you will edify your brethren and silence will teach you to speak when the hour is come.” Of course, our words are mere shadows of the light of God’s Word who, in today’s Gospel, revealed his power by illuminating the man’s spirit and opening his mouth by casting out the demon that kept him mute.

Today, we are that man. Some of us are still in the throes of silence while others are poised, ready to announce the Good News on every street corner and every comment box on the internet. But what remains to be seen is how closely we have come in approaching Jesus in the silence of our hearts. It is he who enters into our spirits, fuses his divine wisdom into our human intellects, and unlocks our tongues to manifest his grace through our words and actions.

May the final weeks of your Lenten journey be filled with silence, for it is there that we can join the Psalmist in saying, “I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is You who have done it” (Psalm 39:9).

TJ BurdickT.J. Burdick the author of several books and article on the Catholic faith. He is the founder of the Dominican Institute and blogger at tjburdick.com. He has a Masters in the Art of Teaching through Aquinas College and is currently working toward another Masters in Theology. A former missionary to Latin America, T.J. writes on how to grow in holiness amongst the distractions and difficulties of the current age. He resides in Grand Rapids, MI, with his wife and four children.

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