“…People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence….
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you” (Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence“)
When Elise and I first opened our veterinary practice, we both took charge of every task…which means that neither one of us were in charge of any task. We tended to either double do a job or we assumed that the other person did it and it didn’t get accomplished at all. We quickly learned that we needed to divide and conquer. She assumed control of paying bills and employee training, while I handled managing our income and building maintenance. It worked out well. We just had to trust each other and the rest is history.
And we have taken the same approach when managing our home. This time of year we begin caring for the yard. As the weather warms up here in the Midwest, the grass begins to grow and the garden needs to be planted. Elise loves planting and harvesting vegetables. It is her passion. So I steer clear of that part of the yard. I have inherited the lawn…for better or for worse. It is funny how here in the suburbs of Chicago, in our housing development, not caring adequately for the green space around your home could lead to being shunned by the neighbors. Pressure can be intense.
Back when we first bought our place, I recall walking around the lawn of a hotel complex in the area and noted these clumps scattered widely around the property. At first I was sure it was goose poop as there was a large flock of the Canadian visitors roaming the grounds. But the immensity of the area covered by the clods was even immense for the pooping potential of the fine feathered flock. Upon closer inspection these were clods of dirt and it turns out that the hotel began the spring with aerating the lawn. For those not blessed with the burden of grass slavery, aeration is the process of creating numerous 1-2 inch deep holes in the lawn. This allows the roots of the grass plants room to expand and allow for nutrients to penetrate the soil. And this is critical when applying grass seed in the spring in the hope of thickening nature’s carpet. Not aerating before seed application leads to the seed just sitting on the surface and either not sprouting, being washed away or consumed by the explosion of Robins invading the suburbs. Aerating first, allows the seed to penetrate the surface, take root and germinate more efficiently. And you thought ACM was only good for spiritual enrichment, didn’t you?
OK. OK. There really IS a point to that long introduction. And it even has something to do with today’s readings!! In today’s Gospel from Mark we have the apostle’s version of Mary Magdalene’s arrival at the tomb and her receiving the task to inform the eleven of Jesus’ return. She must have been SO excited to share this news. And what was the response from the Apostles? They didn’t believe her. Maybe because she was a woman, maybe because they were so down after the crucifixion. But then they hear similar news from the disciples who rush back to Jerusalem to tell the Apostles that they had seen Jesus on the road to Emmaus! And you would think they all would be jumping for joy. Nope. Unbelief. Jealousy, maybe, that they did not see Jesus first?
Here are Jesus’ most trusted companions. They had seen him raise the dead, heal the lame and the blind. Feed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Peter, James and John saw him transfigured with Moses and Elijah. And Peter even proclaimed that he believed that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. It took for Jesus to actually appear in their midst, and then to admonish them (nice way of saying that he took them out to the woodshed) for them to accept that this miracle worker that they broke bread with for three years actually did what He said He was going to do.
So why did Jesus’ brothers in faith, with all the information that they had accumulated while walking with Christ, not believe when their companions broke the news to them? I think the answer to that question has the potential to give us all relief when we fail at convincing others of the truth of the Gospel. After all, what better teacher and preacher is there than Jesus Himself?! Even He was not able to convince everyone He spoke to about the Kingdom of God.
So, it appears that having the right INFORMATION still may not convince people of the truth that Christ died and rose for our sins. That He really is the Son of God. That is not to say that we should not become as educated as possible in the Scriptures and the writings of the Church. The more we know, the more confident we will be when sharing this truth with others. But we all have been in situations where this truth is received less than enthusiastically. Facts do not seem to matter. The person’s previous beliefs and moral structure stand in the way of receiving a different perspective. AS another example, when some people are faced with the facts of when life begins, and the facts of the undeniable development of a new life within a woman’s womb, those supporting abortion access, cling stubbornly to their beliefs. So, what does it take for the truth to sway a person’s view?
It is preparation. Like the lawn I mentioned in my opening. Without the soil being prepared via aeration, the seed has little chance to take hold and grow. Like the parable of the sower and the seed, the grass seed will sit on the surface to be eaten by birds, choked off by weeds or blown away. We can provide the seed, in the form of the Word. But that soil, a person’s heart and soul, need to likewise be prepared to receive the message of salvation. And who does that preparation? It is the ultimate gardener. God. Only He can draw a person to Himself by softening their hardened hearts to receive the Good News. Think back on when you first REALLY felt and understood the Gospel. Yes, if we are cradle Catholics, we heard all about the stories from the New Testament and sort of believed. But as evidenced by the number of young people that fall away from the Church, it is obvious that the early influx of information often does not always take root. In some of us, however, the Word is received later with a different heart. A different soul. And it blossoms. The Lord prepared us and we heard with a different ear, and listened with that new perspective.
I think the Gospel today tells us to keep getting the Word out. Keep spreading the seed. And keep praying as Monica prayed for her son, Augustine. Because we never know when we will be merely speaking the sound of silence and when we will be casting those Words out onto an aerated soul.
