I want to share with you today a film I saw on Saturday called Into Silence. Saturday was the feast of St. Bruno (1030-1101) who founded the Carthusian Order and the Grand Chartruese Abbey that is its motherhouse. It was a fitting day to view this film that shows the life of the Carthusian monks through the changing seasons amid the Chartruese mountains. The monks live in their cells like hermits and food is left for them in a small opening in the wall of each cell. The nearly three-hour movie is silent and really leads us "into silence" as we contemplate the lives of the monks as they pray and work in deep silence.
In the first reading in today's Liturgy, Jonah tries to run away from the Lord. The Lord has called him to do something specific for him and Jonah flees in a ship. Then the Lord causes a violent storm so the ship is unmanageable. Jonah finally tells the crew, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea that it may quiet down for you."
They throw him into the sea and "the sea's raging is abated". But the Lord sent a big fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah prayed and the Lord commanded the fish to "spew Jonah upon the shore."
This is a dramatic account but certainly tells us that we need to heed the Lord's call to do something and not try to run away!
The Gospel is the story of the good Samaritan and shows us who is our neighbor and what it means to love our neighbor!
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