Recently on 11th February 2014, in
Lourdes Shrine, Perambur, many people have flocked to see something
extraordinary and supernatural in the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. Many are
excited about it. Just I thought of recording about what should be our response
to these events in my perspective.
We have a good tradition in the Bible and in the
Church about how some personalities have responded to the supernatural events
like visions and apparitions.
Though they were surprised about it but have not
been too much emotional or excited about it rather pondered in silence about
those events.
Mother Mary herself was pondering and reflecting in
silence about the revelations.
In fact, Zechariah was made dumb by God about the
vision.
Joseph silently accepted Mary on account of what
was told in his dream.
The recognized visions, apparitions, which have
been so far approved, are those personal revelations to individual persons like
Bernadette and others but in fact had come along with a strong message to the
world. There have been no approved apparitions to masses or group of people so
far in the Catholic tradition apart from the Biblical tradition like for
example Jesus apparition to his disciples after his resurrection.
Great mystics who had mystical God experience have
become silent after such an experience.
St Thomas Aquinas, who was a great mystic and
author of Summa Theologica (a long discourse on Theology) after having a
vision considered his own written work as rubbish and did not want to write
further, although his work still forms the basis for theological discussion in
the seminaries even today.
Great mystic and philosopher, Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa (from Indian tradition) have advocated his disciples to be mute
about the divine visions and experiences. He says that the supernatural events
like visions or mystical experience is essentially ineffable, indescribable, and
non-communicative. He gives some metaphors to illustrate this:
- The bee buzzes around the flower when it longs for honey. When it collects the honey it is silent.
- When an empty pitcher is dipped in water, it makes a gurgling sound. When it is filled and hauled up, the sound ceases.
- At a banquet there is a good deal of noise while the guests are waiting for the food. When they are served, they speak less and less. And when the last course is over, there is only the faint sound of wiping the banana leaf.
Soren Kierkagaard, a theistic existentialist
philosopher says,
“As my prayer become more attentive and inward
I had less and less to say.
I finally became completely silent.
I started to listen
- which is even further removed from speaking.
I first thought that praying is hearing,
not merely being silent.
This is how it is.
To pray does not mean to listen to oneself
speaking.
Prayer involves becoming silent,
And being silent,
And waiting until God is heard.”
Blessed Mother Teresa says:
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in
noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees,
flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how
they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
