The Silence of Jesus

Ave Maria! Recently I came across an article on the silence of Christ during His Passion. It was written by Angelico Savarino and can be found here. The author notes that "After his arrest, the Gospel says, Jesus kept his lips sealed. This silence was to accompany him throughout his Passion, when his words were indeed few. It is as if his words of offering at the Last Supper extinguished all other words. Jesus was henceforth handed over to men and abandoned every defence. Consciously and with a free heart, he seemed to be surrendering himself totally to his enemies."

Indeed, at the Last Supper, Our Lord had unreservedly given Himself to all, whether friend or foe. From then on, hidden within the common elements of bread and wine, His would be "the silence of eternity, interpreted by love." Jesus had already said everything that was necessary. He had not only proclaimed the Father's infinite love but was its very enfleshment. Therefore, when questioned and persecuted by his enemies, "reviled and put to scorn," Christ did not need to defend or explain Himself.

"What was the secret of this renunciation of every defence," Savarino ponders, "what then is the reason for Jesus' silence?

"The answer comes to us from a text of the Prophet Isaiah: 'The Lord God assists me; therefore. I have not been confounded: therefore, I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near' (50:7-8).

"The servant of the Lord accepts all unjust abuse in silence and remains at peace, for his heart is filled with a profound and steadfast trust in God.

"He is deeply convinced that the Lord is faithful and does not abandon the righteous but loves them with a love that never fails, despite any appearances to the contrary.

"And this applies to Jesus, too. 'When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted in him who judges justly' (I Pt 2:23).

"Thus, Jesus' silence is infinitely more eloquent than a torrent of words. It proclaims and testifies to total trust in the Father and immense benevolence to sinful humanity in need of infinite mercy."

Dearest Jesus, "in this Thy bitter passion," let me be still and learn from You to trust our Father's love. Amen.