Rector’s Message
During my university days I was in residence in Annsely Hall at the University of Toronto, at Victoria College situated directly opposite the Royal Ontario Museum.  All through the night sirens went off as ambulances raced by.  When I went back home to Guelph, the silence was unsettling.  It intrigued me how city traffic noises could calm me and a sleepy neighbourhood silence disturb me.  I started to rethink my definition of silence and noise.  Was it exterior or interior? 

Brother Rogers of the Taize Community writes::  -Sometimes we are apparently silent, and yet we have great discussions within, struggling with imaginary partners or with ourselves.  The turmoil of our thoughts can be compared to the storm that struck the disciples’ boat on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus was sleeping. Like them, we may be full of anxiety, and incapable of calming ourselves.  Christ, who rebukes the wind and the sea into “a great calm",  can also quiet our agitated thoughts.

What I find is that fear and doubt are usually noisy, crowding my mind and heart with “what ifs”… and “how comes and “now whats?.. etc”   Very little trusting is going on  Silence means recognising that my worries can’t do much. Silence means leaving to God what is beyond my reach and capacity. A moment of silence, even very short, is like a holy stop, a sabbatical rest, a truce of worries.  When I step out to walk about St. Anne’s Cemetary, I often find God opens this window.  When you listen to the sound of birds, sing a favourite hymn, hear a friends excited story,you can find  a holy silence  even in the presence of words.

Peaceful communion with God can do without words and yet words fill our liturgy with meaning and power.  How do we also give place to silence?  How is it possible to reach inner silence? Recently a parishioner spoke of this need in coming to worship.

Christ says: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). We need silence in order to welcome these words and put them into practice. When we are agitated and restless, we have so many arguments and reasons not to forgive and not to love too easily. But when we "have calmed and quieted our soul", these reasons turn out to be quite insignificant.  Brother Rogers, the founder of the Taize community had great insight in observing that we sometimes avoid silence, preferring whatever noise, words or distraction are at hand, because inner peace is a risky thing: it makes us empty and poor, disintegrates bitterness and leads us to our simple selves.. Silent and poor, our hearts are overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, filled with an unconditional love.  Soon the children will delight us with their Pentecost Puppet Play, and we will find Jesus in their story.  Then, in the holy silence that follows, we will find Him again.

May I add one final word – please support our church family photo directory project this coming month –   a family photo isn’t the same without the whole family – we also know that it is a significant accomplishment!  Please know how much it means to us to have you represented.

Reverend Canon Janet Lynall