How does silence help your spiritual life?

[water]

A few days ago, I read a part of St. Faustina’s diary. In this part, St. Faustina mentioned about keeping herself silent for all she was doing.

I am trying to learn that from her, and it is hard especially when your pride tries to get in your way.

Recently, there is a thread on cultivating silence, and I like this quote here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=2473899#post2473899

My question is - how does silence help your spirituality grow?

Thanks!

 

[whatevergirl]

A few days ago, I read a part of St. Faustina’s diary. In this part, St. Faustina mentioned about keeping herself silent for all she was doing.

I am trying to learn that from her, and it is hard especially when your pride tries to get in your way.

Recently, there is a thread on cultivating silence, and I like this quote here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=2473899#post2473899

My question is - how does silence help your spirituality grow?

Thanks!

Hi water

I think that silence can increase one’s inner peace…and can aid in helping us to truly listen in an active and intent way–God speaking to us. I think we are so caught up in a loud society…from cars…to radios…to the need for 24/7 music blaring in our ears through ipods…through tv…talking on the phone…it’s no wonder if have turned a little deaf to truth. We can’t hear it! lol

So…turning down the volume dial of life, can really help us (it helps me) to see all that I miss when I’m talking over it.

 

[Katie1723]

Once in a while I get “maxed out on noise”. When that happens about the only place I care to be is church. If that isn’t possible I go for a walk in the cemetary. Pretty quiet there.
Kathy

 

[lizaanne]

I won’t re-post the same thing I said in the other thread, but will add that silence helps me to blot out the noise, if that makes any sense. In a life that is filled with phones, laptops, computers, people, work, volunteering, husband, family, the world in general, all of which have an aspect of sound (avoiding the negative connotation of the word “noise”) - in silence there is a stillness where I can see through the sound and find God. Knowing that He is always there in the midst of the sound of our lives, but pushing all that static away helps me to tune in more clearly to hear Him and acknowledge Him more fully in my life.

~Liza

 

[Mark_Robert]

You can practice silence in your daily life. At work, I try to talk less and listen more. Silence not only helps in contemplation but also in avoiding the sin of gossip and slander. I find, the more people talk, the more they tend to get in trouble. Silence is mortifying the most unruly and restless member of the body; the tongue.

 

[InLight247]

Here is another quote of St. Faustina in addition to the one I quoted on the other thread:

God does not give himself to a chattering soul which, like a drone in a beehive, buzzes around but gather no honey. A talkative soul is empty inside. It lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God. A deeper interior life, one of gentle peace and of that silence where the Lord dwells, is quite out of the question. A soul that has never tasted the sweetness of inner silence is a restless spirit which disturbs the silence of others. I have seen many souls in the depths of hell for not having kept their silence.

St. Faustina said her happiest moments are when she was alone with the Lord. Indeed, how true it is also for me.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

In silence I focus my thoughts better on God, give him my full attention. That is how it helps my spiritual life.

 

[water]

How about being silent not talking about what works you have done for someone? or how painful your physical pain? or how bad your co-worker treat you? etc …

 

[pharmacistUH]

How about being silent not talking about what works you have done for someone? or how painful your physical pain? or how bad your co-worker treat you? etc …

It is very hard to do sometimes, but I try to do this to keep me humble before God. Let’s say I give blood or something, instead of going out saying how I did such a good deed trying to get the accolades of people, I would try to not let anyone know. God knows, and that is all that matters. This is just an example.

 

[Biblioassistant]

I love silence! I think one reason I love daily Mass is because it is so silent. No singing, no chanting nothing but responses and prayers. Bliss. And the holy hour before it is also a source of grace. No talking, no nothing. Just blessed silence.

 

[mommyof4]

You can practice silence in your daily life. At work, I try to talk less and listen more. Silence not only helps in contemplation but also in avoiding the sin of gossip and slander. I find, the more people talk, the more they tend to get in trouble. Silence is mortifying the most unruly and restless member of the body; the tongue.

Yep- it’s probably what gets me into the most trouble!

 

[TOP]

A few days ago, I read a part of St. Faustina’s diary. In this part, St. Faustina mentioned about keeping herself silent for all she was doing.

I am trying to learn that from her, and it is hard especially when your pride tries to get in your way.

Recently, there is a thread on cultivating silence, and I like this quote here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=2473899#post2473899

My question is - how does silence help your spirituality grow?

Thanks!

Inner prayer, contemplating God’s will and voice in my surroundings. To see His will being carried out despite adversity , as a bystander. At times there is a message in everything if your at peace. Seeing how to apply scripture teachings to the things in life. Reviewing past traps, mistakes how to fix the problem. Examining my own conscience. Asking for forgivness. I don’t think there is a limit. I’m blessed to live in a cabin deep in the woods. I can just step outside and there it is. But the Lord is with my family at certain times as well. Sometimes it is hard to get everyone on the same page though. I treasure my peace and quiet. Tim

 

[water]

Inner prayer, contemplating God’s will and voice in my surroundings. To see His will being carried out despite adversity , as a bystander. At times there is a message in everything if your at peace. Seeing how to apply scripture teachings to the things in life. Reviewing past traps, mistakes how to fix the problem. Examining my own conscience. Asking for forgivness. I don’t think there is a limit.** I’m blessed to live in a cabin deep in the woods. **I can just step outside and there it is. But the Lord is with my family at certain times as well. Sometimes it is hard to get everyone on the same page though. I treasure my peace and quiet. Tim

Thanks Top for your reply and you are blessed to live in the woods.
Make sure you don’t turn into Tarzan though.

 

[TOP]

Thanks Top for your reply and you are blessed to live in the woods.
Make sure you don’t turn into Tarzan though.

If tarzan was bald and had a dunlap, you know, when your belly dun lapped over your pants, we would be twins . Well I’m not that bad yet.

 

[wtpdosa]

As a contemplative, silence allows me to get more in touch with myself and with God. In 1 Cor 3:16,17 Paul questions them by asking, " Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" “…for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.” In this context Paul is using the word ‘holy’ as meaning belonging to God.

One thing I see is that most people pray to God outside of themselves and many asking the Holy Spirit to come into their lives. But the question many ask is, “How do I get in touch with God inside?” I tell them that much like Jesus did when he went away by himself into the desert to be alone and quiet, He was getting in touch with himself. I believe that much like our Lord’s example in the desert, we too must go into the silence of our hearts and soul and seek God.

St. Augustine wrote his book, ‘Soliloquies’, O Lord, I have sought you in the world, but, “little did I realize that you were closer to me than I was to myself.” God is within, and people are trying to reach Him there. This is why there are many contemplative religious orders. People are hungry for God! Yes, by all means, be active and contemplative, sharing and praising Him and magnifying His Holy Name, and also do take the time to get in deeper touch with Him who lives within you.

For those who wish to get deeper, may I suggest books by Frs. Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington, and Thomas Merton on contemplative prayer. There are many others. They are full of help and inspiration. Also too, find a spiritual director who practices contemplative prayer and meet with them. Go to Holy Hours and contemplative prayer groups in parishes that have them.

If there is one thing that I would warn against, it is ‘quietism’ and the idea of ‘nothingness’. The object of our contemplative prayer is God, and He is very real, working within us as well. It is in the silence that we can set aside outside things for a moment and find peace and love within. Being silent allows me to do that.

Many ask me about what to do when things pop into their heads, and I mention about what I read in Thomas Keating’s book, think about a nice quiet place near a stream, and in the stream there are leaves floating past. Put what popped into your head on one of those leaves and let it drift away so that you can be quiet and let God be with you have have all of your attention.

I’ll leave you with this thought, remember that in your contemplative prayer there should be two things: Intention and Attention. Intention that you are making a loving effort to be with God in the silence; and Attention, that in this prayer, all of your attention at this moment should be towards and for God. Let nothing distract you in your prayer.

Silence does indeed enrich my spiritual life, and I pray it does the same for you.

Peace in Christ,

Br. Tom Davis, OSA