Transfiguring Silence

W

hen I reflected on the gospel, there was something that I noticed for the first time, particularly on the last verse; the word "silent" just leapt out at me. That word stood out like a beacon of light in the Transfiguration account of Luke (Lk 9:28-36). I was lost in writer's block, but that idea hit me like a spark in the dark. I read the whole gospel, and I realized Jesus was silent. I started to wonder why. We are told that Jesus took Peter, James, and John and went up the mountain to pray. When we pray, we naturally remain silent. But there must be something deeper. Throughout the liturgical year, the Gospels present several instances where Jesus remains silent during pivotal moments, particularly in the narratives of His Passion. During His trial (Mt 26:62-63) the high priest questions Jesus about the accusations against Him. The Gospel notes: "But Jesus was silent." When accused by the chief priests and elders, Jesus offers no reply, prompting Pilate to express amazement at His silence (Mt 27:12-14). Similarly, in John, Pilate questions Jesus, asking, "Where are you from?" The narrative states: "But Jesus gave him no answer" (Jn 19:9-10).

There are two occasions when the Transfiguration account is proclaimed: first on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration, and second, during the second Sunday of Lent. I am glad that we have it in the season of Lent because Jesus’s transfiguration is not just about radiance and glory. He is on His way to Jerusalem, to suffering, to the Cross, but He is interiorly driven by something. We might think that when a person is not saying anything, nothing is happening. No. Many times, silence can be deafening. In silence, something is burning inside his heart. I would like to think that is Jesus's deep desire to surrender everything, which includes laying down his life out of great love. "When you want something with all your heart, you shine brighter than anyone." This line from the Korean drama Navillera reminds us of the power of desire—a desire so deep that it transfigures us from within.

The second point: Who broke the silence? We might rush to the conclusion that it was Peter who again placed his foot in his mouth. It is an idiom that means he said something impulsive or embarrassing without thinking it through. It suggests that Peter often spoke too quickly or boldly, only to regret it later. No wonder Jesus not only teaches the value of silence, but he also practices what he teaches.

Let us just accept that we do not know how to be silent in the way Jesus does. No wonder Peter, James, and John were silenced. In what way? They fell asleep while Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah. Silence is needed for our own transfiguration. This word is an English word, but its components are all Latin. The prefix trans—means across and, by extension, to change. For example, the word "transport" literally means to carry across. When one transports something, he or she carries it across to another place, which results in a change of place or position. Transfiguration has a root word "figure"—some sort of shape or form, like that of a human shape. In Matthew's gospel account, the original Greek word used, Της Μεταμορφωσευς (Tis Metamorfoseus), is the same as what we now have in English as "metamorphosis." This is organic proof that silence is a requirement in any developmental process. There is no butterfly if there is no caterpillar, and there is no caterpillar if there is no egg first. Let us not be quick to judge Peter, James, and John, who were sleeping. We are very much like them, still in their cocoons for a good reason. They have their cocoons to shield their eyes from being burnt by the intensity of the dazzling light. No wonder when they woke up, they did not know what they were doing. How deep is your awareness of your personal transfiguration or transformation? No matter what stage you find yourself in, always be grateful for the grace that the Lord gives each step of the way. Be gentle with yourself as the Lord is gentle with his apostles.

The third and last point, we started with the word silent, but I would like to end with another word which is the same set of letters as silent. From the word silent is the word listen. We need to be silent because the practice of silence helps cultivate attentiveness or the capacity to listen. It is important to note that the first word in the Rule of St Benedict of Nursia is the Latin word "obsculta“ (listen). The word obedience comes from the same two Latin roots, 'audire' and 'ausculta.' To listen is to obey. We can fall into the same trap of babbling words without discernment. It happened to the apostles, so it can happen to any of us. Nobody is immune.

For St Ignatius of Loyola, a Jesuit is that kind of person who commits through a vow to listen up and to obey until his dying day.

I am willing that other Religious Orders should surpass us in fastings, in vigils and in other bodily austerities which each of them practices holily according to the spirit of its Rule. But, in what concerns the purity and perfection of obedience, the sincere abandonment of our will into the hands of the Superiors, and the renunciation of our judgment, I earnestly desire that those who serve God in this Society should not be surpassed by any one, but that they should signalize themselves by the practice of this virtue, and that this may be the distinctive feature by which the true and legitimate children of the Society may be distinguished from such as are not so.

St Ignatius says further, "there is no sacrifice sweeter nor more pleasing to the Supreme Majesty than obedience, as Holy Scripture affirms." St Ignatius must have been referring to this gospel passage: Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!” (Amplified Bible).

Do I listen to God, or do I just listen to noise? Listen means more than just hearing, it is transfiguring; it means a whole new way of being attentive, generous, open, or magnanimous. Closeness to silence is closeness to God. May we be drawn into silence this Lenten season because as Meister Eckhart said, "There is nothing so much like God in all the universe as silence." Amen. Fr JM Manzano SJ