Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Importance of Silence




“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
-Mother Teresa










We live in a crazy and noisy world. Everytime we get in the car, we turn on the radio.
If we are home, we watch TV or go on the computer. We never really let silence enter our lives.

I think part of the reason is that we are afraid. When we are silent, we are confronted with feelings we've never allowed ourselves to feel.


When I stayed at a retreat at a convent for a few days, I was faced with loneliness. I was faced with fear. And I was faced with pain. I wanted to run away at this point, I didn't want to be there. I shunned the whole thought of religious life at this point. Until, I talked with Mother. She said that I was facing feelings I would always run away from. She also said that it's a bit of a shock at first....coming from a noisy world, and into a prayerful and silent atmosphere. But, you begin to get used to it. You begin to feel the peace. Which is what happened to me.

Silence may result in pain for you, but don't let it scare you away.
Use the silence to pray. Take all your sufferings, your burdens, and your pain to our Lord and Saviour. He is LOVE! And He is there with open arms to comfort His children.

It's unfortunate how noisy our world is because God can be found in silence. Silence is a wonderful time to think about eternal goods. It's also the perfect time to pray to God, seeing as this is the season of Lent.

You hear stories of the Saints spending the rest of their lives in caves to get this silence.
There's obviously something special about silence, right? Silence is a way to flee from sin.




"The prophet says that silence shall cultivate justice in the soul; (Isaias, xxxii. 17) for, on the one hand, it saves us from a multitude of sins by destroying the root of disputes, of detractions, of resentments, and of curiosity; and on the other, it makes us acquire many virtues. How well does the nun practise humility who when others speak listens with modesty and in silence! How well does she practise mortification by not yielding to her inclination or desire to tell a certain anecdote, or to use a witty expression suggested by the conversation! How well does she practise meekness by remaining silent when unjustly censured or offended! Hence the same holy prophet said: In silence and in hope shall be your strength. (Isaias xxx. 15) Your strength shall be in silence and in hope; for by silence we shun the occasions of sin, and by hope we obtain the divine aid to lead a holy life."





You see, silence is not just about being in a silent room, and being prayerful. It's about silencing your tongue. It's our tongue that often gets us in trouble. When you speak, you should speak with wisdom and holiness. In other words, think before you speak.

All of us should bring the three S's into our daily lives:
simplicity, solitude, and silence.
It brings great peace to the mind and soul.


Personally, silence is something that I am attached to. I love it. I know how important it is.
When I'm in a noisy situation, I often put myself in a bubble. I first start out by noticing all the noise, then I try to find the softest sound and focus on that. I begin to fall into a trance, and I'm always left with silence.

If you're like me, you'll learn to really appreciate silence. Especially if it's hard to get.

Sometimes you just can't "tune things out" and I understand. Listening to Gregorian Chant has always helped me. It has always brought me into a contemplative and prayerful mood. For me, it always ends up resulting in silence. So many times I have felt broken, but I would listen to Gregorian chant and it would make me feel...alive again. It's like a spiritual remedy.
You forget all your worries, and you just feel like praising God. It's truly amazing.


So, I ask you to try adding some silence and solitude into your daily life. Maybe some Gregorian chant if you have to. Because, here we are in Lent, which is a time of renewal and great penance. It's a time to reflect on God. This is a perfect opportunity!
Silence is the key....

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