NOTES for Mar 7:31-37

Faith and patient endurance symbolize the steadfastness of Christians in trials. When the Lord helps us, when all suffering comes to an end, we often begin telling everyone about what has happened. And at that very moment we often drown out Christ’s voice addressed to us. Christ tells almost everyone He heals, “Do not tell anyone.” He calls us to silence, to finding peace, and to struggling against the noise produced by the world around us. During the fast we ask to be granted the spirit of humility, patience, and love. To receive these gifts, we need silence: silence as a time for conversation with Christ. And in our prayer, whether we pray according to a rule or in our own words, few words are necessary. They are necessary precisely because Christ’s work is accomplished in silence and in secret. In the quiet of the morning and the light chill of dawn, His friends and disciples learn that He is no longer in the tomb, that He has risen.