Seventh Sunday in Easter 'A'

Saturday May 7, 2005

The ‘Pause’ That Truly Refreshes

In the process of implementing liturgical modifications several years ago at St Joseph Parish, I explained the rationale for the introduction of ‘significant pauses’ during Sunday worship. The pauses are subtle but essential reminders that we need to listen at liturgy not only with the ears of our head but also with the ears of our heart. As with the ‘rest’ symbol on a music scale, pauses within the rhythm of worship provide an opportunity to get our breath—literally! If the vocalist or instrumentalist does not take time to breathe, the musical rendition will founder, falter and fail.

So too, when worship is filled with an incessant flow of words or music, it renders the mind impervious to further stimulation; the brain shuts down. And so the lector is instructed to pause at appropriate intervals in the readings and most importantly at the conclusion. There are other significant pauses during prayers and there are periods of silence following a choral rendition or a dramatic reading.

Significant pauses are important not only for meaningful worship but also for effective living. Several homey sayings to come to mind: “Think before you act!” or “Pause before you dive in!” or “Act not in haste, lest your regrets become greater than your dreams and expectations.” That’s a particularly good one; write it down! Some folks are by nature more skilled at creating appropriate space and maintaining a measured pace as they attempt to integrate the various facets of their busy lives. I’d like to be among them, but alas I fear, despite retirement, I am still catching up. “The faster I go, the behinder I get!”

On numerous occasions as a pastor, I described for the youngest members of our parish family a custom introduced by my brother-in-law and sister to their seven children many years ago. They established a blue zone’ in their home. Actually, everyone had a blue zone—a quiet space—into which they were invited or commanded at appropriate times of the day or evening. When dad said, and sometimes bellowed, “Okay, everyone, it’s blue time!” all went to their quiet space to ‘veg’ or chill out. It was particularly helpful before mealtime. It created balance and increased the possibility for civility at table, though not always.

Silence is the necessary disposition for prayer. Contrary to what many of us may have learned in our early years, prayer is not primarily talking to or asking for but listening to God. The old catechism stated it quite accurately: “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.” There is no mention of words or even conversation. This is not to suggest that words are never useful. It is only to emphasize the importance of listening. Notice, the definition states, ”… lifting up of the mind and HEART to God. But silence is never passive.

Ultimately, the goal of effective prayer is to catch the heartbeat of God so that we can get into the rhythm of God’s life, to speak God’s word and to live God’s word. I dare say that many if not most Catholics are passive and submissive in the public and private forum except when it comes to economics. Perhaps it is precisely because we don’t listen carefully in prayer that we don’t speak courageously in the Church and in the public forum.

Jesus of course, was and remains the exemplar. His life was a constant prayer and a total acceptance of his call to love unconditionally.

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Luke describes the dramatic pause which the Twelve and their companions took between Jesus’ death and his resurrection symbolized by their retreat to the ‘upper room,’ and to which they returned following a few of their post-resurrection experiences of Jesus. We used to have a room at St. Joseph called “the Upper Room.” It was used for Antioch meetings for youth.

From a purely psychological perspective, the retreat of the Apostles was most appropriate. However, their pause was essential for their spiritual wellbeing. They needed to listen carefully in order to discern what God was asking of them as true disciples.

We’re we not attentive to the readings today we might have missed some important nuances in all three. Did you take note of the fact that beside “the Twelve” there were “certain women including Mary the mother of Jesus?” in the upper room? It is very interesting to me that Luke introduces his Gospel with the annunciation of Mary as the mother of Jesus and here in Acts, he notes that Mary is present at the ‘birth of the Church.’ But Mary was anything but passive.

Mary was a woman of silence. We know only that she was open to the power of the Spirit—which overshadowed her. We know of her quiet acceptance of her call to give birth to Jesus; of her resignation to Jesus’ own call and of her quiet presence at the foot of the cross and now of her reflective presence at the birth of the Church.

In fact, Mary has been called the prototype of the Church, which in the words of Pope John XXIII, is mother and teacher. How appropriate a reference on this Mother’s day when we pay tribute to all women who nurture life! A mother is encouraged in the midst of her pain at childbirth—breathe in, breathe out. As the pain subsides, the child is born and new life is brought into being. We have much to learn from those who pause to breathe; we have much to learn from the nurturing spirit of Mary and of all who bring forth life; from those who appreciate the depth of God’s call to life.

Did you pick up on the words of Jesus in his farewell prayer: ”…And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Life in communion with God in Christ is eternal life. It is not the reward given at the end of life for those how have jumped over enough hurtles; it is the gift that is given to those who accept his word here and now, at this moment—freely given life that empowers us to a goodness that can only glorify God. It’s an awesome thought. In this gospel passage, Jesus is praying them into the rhythm of God’s life, promising that the Spirit will breathe on them and will breathe on us again to assure us of God’s immanent and enduring presence. In fact, this entire prayer of Jesus is a Eucharistic prayer in praise of God’s desire for the unity of all humanity in Christ.

We need to breathe in and breathe out; we need to take significant pauses in life so that we can hear the sound of God’s call and live more freely in God’s love. The “pause that refreshes” is not just for the ‘Pepsi generation.’ It is for everyone who takes the time to listen.

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