When God Works Without Noise

 

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

The prophet Zephaniah speaks to us today about a poor and humble remnant.
And as I prayed with these readings, I found myself thinking that very often this is exactly how God works: without noise, without spectacle, without drawing attention to Himself.

After denouncing a city that was proud, self-sufficient, and closed in on itself, the Lord makes a surprising promise:
“I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly;
they shall take refuge in the name of the Lord.”

When we hear the word remnant, we often imagine a group that is small because it is weak or insignificant. But in the Bible, that is not the case. The remnant is not what is left over after failure; the remnant is what remains faithful. It is a people who do not impose themselves, who do not boast, who do not make noise—but who continue to trust in the Lord.

The psalm responds today with a deep and consoling truth:
“The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
Not the noise of the powerful, not the voice of those who justify themselves, but the quiet and persevering cry of those who know they need God.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to meet with priests from different parts of the United States. Among them, some shared the pastoral experience of Las Vegas. And I have to admit, that experience helped me understand today’s Word in a new way.

Las Vegas is often seen as a city of excess, of sin, a place where it would seem impossible to live an authentic life of faith. Many would think: there can’t be much Gospel there.
And yet, what these priests described was a very different reality: vibrant parishes, churches filled with people, especially Latino communities—Mexican, Filipino, Vietnamese—simple, hardworking people, deeply rooted in their faith, families passing on belief, communities alive with prayer.

That made me realize that sometimes the remnant God speaks of is not small because there are few, but because they do not make noise.

The faith of many people is like that. It does not appear in headlines. It does not become a spectacle. It does not seek attention. It is like a tree that grows in silence. No one hears the sound of its roots. No one sees how it takes hold beneath the surface. But slowly, steadily, faithfully, that tree grows… and bears fruit.

This is how God builds His Kingdom.

Today’s Gospel confirms it clearly. Jesus tells us that tax collectors and prostitutes went ahead into the Kingdom of God, not because they were morally superior, but because they allowed themselves to be touched, they repented, they changed. They had no religious prestige or security, but they had open hearts. They were part of that humble remnant spoken of by the prophet.

Advent invites us to look honestly at ourselves and to ask:
Am I trying to make noise, or am I putting down roots?
Do I want to be seen, or do I want to remain faithful?
Do I trust my own securities, or do I truly trust in the Lord?

Perhaps the Kingdom of God is not always found where there is the most noise,
but where God continues to work quietly:
in simple communities,
in families who pray,
in humble people who do not boast, but believe.

May this Advent find us among that faithful remnant—
a people who do not make noise, but bear fruit;
who do not put themselves on display, but trust;
who remain rooted in the name of the Lord.

Because God does not always make noise… but He always bears fruit.