In the two previous articles, we considered Knock as a uniquely silent apparition. We saw firstly the importance of silence as a necessary preparation to ponder and reflect. We focused on the absolute silence of The Lamb of God. But there is a third reason for the silence of the vision before us.
Silence accompanies a final say. A judge in a court of law may hand down a final verdict. In a debate or decision someone may say: “that’s my last word on the subject” or “there is no more to be discussed.” The Latin word satis meaning ‘enough’ implies we should be ‘satisfied.’
Knock’s silence is a reminder that God has spoken to us finally and definitively in His Son Jesus Christ. There is no new, public revelation. Nothing can be added or taken away to the ‘deposit of faith’ or ‘Revelation,’ that God has wanted to make known to us. There is simply nothing more to be said.
Silence of the Lamb
The Knock Apparition offers us the presence of the silent Lamb of God and features the Scriptures in the priestly hands of St John. In this way, the apparition alludes to the fact that, as the Catechism puts it:
“Christ the Son of God made man, is the Father’s one, perfect and unsurpassable Word. In Him He has said everything: there will be no other word than this one.”
The Catechism goes on to quote St John of the Cross with a timely reminder:
“God has no more to say… Because what he spoke before to the prophets and parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is his Son. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behaviour but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty.’’ (Catechism 65)
What are we to make then of Knock, and other private revelations?
“Yet even if Revelation is complete, it has not been made completely explicit.” (Catechism 66)
“They do not belong to the deposit of faith, but the Church welcomes whatever in these revelations constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church. Christian faith cannot accept ‘revelations’ that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfilment.” (Catechism 67)
God has much to relate to us via the heavenly vision granted to the 15 visionaries at Knock in 1879. It continues to communicate to pilgrims down to the present day and into the future. The Scriptures are deliberately emphasised as He directs us to exactly where He himself has revealed all we need to know. In them are all the most important words we need to hear.
“In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet His children and talk with them.”(Catechism 103)
Listening
“He who hears you, hears me…” (Luke 10:16)
The silence of Knock teaches us the importance of attentive listening to God’s Word. We see elements of the Mass not only in the Lamb of Sacrifice on the altar but in the preaching of God’s Holy Word. John is depicted in the posture of preaching the Gospel. Therefore, we too must listen.
Mary at Knock, standing in silence next to John, is the supreme example of this active listening. We read in Sacred Scripture: “As for Mary, she pondered these things in her heart” (Luke 2:19, 51).
Following her example the Church wants all the faithful to have an ever-greater familiarity with God’s Word. Recent Church councils and gatherings have emphasised this. The Second Vatican Council – which concluded 60 years ago this year – included a document on Sacred Scripture entitled Dei Verbum – On the Word of God. Pope Benedict XVI presided over a special Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in October 2008 and issued a Post Synodal Exhortation entitled Verbum Domini – The Word of the Lord – in 2010. In it he stated:
“Throughout its history the People of God has always found strength in the Word of God.”
“Beginning with the pontificate of Pope Leo the XIII we can say that there has been a crescendo of interventions aimed at an increased awareness of the importance of the word of God and the study of the Bible in the life of the Church.” (Verbum Domini, 3)
Word of God Sunday
Pope Francis’ first Apostolic Letter, 2013, reminds us of “the Joy of the Gospel.”
As alluded to in the first of these articles, Pope Francis introduced the Sunday of the Word of God in 2020 to be celebrated each January. In the inaugural Mass in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, emphasising the place of Scripture in our prayer lives and worship, the Pope did a curious thing. Perhaps inspired by his own visit to Knock in 2018, he had the processional statue of Our Lady of Knock flown to Rome and placed in special honour for the Mass at St Peter’s. There is, therefore, an inextricable link between Knock and Our Lady as “hearer of God’s Word.” Of her after all, Jesus said: “Blessed … those who hear the word of God and accept it” (Luke 11:28). St Elizabeth addressed Mary with the words: “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45).
The Church emphasises that “to live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the Word of God.”(Catechism 162).
The silence of Knock reminds me therefore of what already has been spoken, in abundance. By looking to the Book of Scriptures in the apparition I am being invited to open them for myself. In doing so, and in the words of St Peter the Apostle, each of us must come personally to declare to the Lord Jesus – “you have the words of eternal life!” (John 6:68).
Jesus Himself said: “Heaven and earth shall pass way, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31)
As I ponder at the inclusion of the Scriptures in the silent apparition, I can ask myself: what other words can possibly matter? So let us therefore, in the words of Pope Francis, “make room for the prayerful reading of Jesus’ words.” (Sunday of the Word of God, January 21, 2024).
