ADVENT SILENCE

Jesus Christ- Blessed Silence (Mother Anastas

The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard once wrote: ‘The present state of the world and the whole of life is diseased. If I were a doctor and I were asked for my advice, I should reply: “Create silence!  Bring people to silence!”

How those words apply even more to our modern world! ADVENT, in the midst of winter, is a good time to ponder the mystery of silence and the effect it has on our souls. Think of the trees now dormant, the various animals who have sought refuge in a burrow to gather strength for the new year.  In the winter darkness we become more aware of the silence and stillness that are a part of creation.  All seems to go into its own period of waiting.  If nature has its "time off" to prepare for new life, so must we. 

The Word of God cannot be heard in the stress-filled, noisy world of today. As contemplatives we know there can be no real meeting with Christ Jesus, without silence. Silence prepares for that meeting and silence follows it. For us God has the first word, and our silence opens our hearts to hear Him. Only in this listening will we find a way to speak to a world .

A new book I would recommend to anyone seeking to find moments of silence in their life is The Power of Silence by the African Cardinal Robert Sarah. It is a wonderful ADVENT preparation for the coming of the Lord.

Silence is the indispensable doorway to the divine. Within the hushed and hallowed walls of the famous Carthusian monastery, the La Grande Chartreux, in the French Alps, Cardinal Sarah asks: Can those who do not know silence ever attain truth, beauty, or love?  Do not wisdom, artistic vision, and devotion spring from silence, where the voice of God is heard in the depths of the human heart?

In a time when technology penetrates our lives in so many ways and materialism exerts such a powerful influence over us, Cardinal  Sarah presents a bold book about the strength of silence. The modern world generates so much noise, he says, that seeking moments of silence has become both harder and more necessary than ever before. I know from experience that even one day off our quiet island onto the mainland disturbs the silence I daily seek.

"Silence is more important than any other human work," he says, "for it expresses God. The true revolution comes from silence; it leads us toward God and others so as to place ourselves humbly and generously at their service."

This book is both a call to seek God and a guide for finding Him. It is a call to seek quiet and to be quiet, for only then can silence and God be found. Deeply spiritual, it is for those who are serious about their spiritual growth.  There is no better  way to prepare for His coming, than in silence!