The first
word of St. Benedict’s Rule is Listen. But to listen, one must first not speak
and be quiet. One must encounter silence. St. Benedict uses two words for that:
silentium and tacituritas.
The first
is literally closing your mouth, while the second is an interior attitude of
docility, humility, and wonder. Both are necessary and both are possible.
This emphasis on silence is so that we can learn to listen to
the Lord more acutely. Yes, He speaks through the Scriptures, but also in the
depths of our heart. Silence allows us to step back from the
noise and clutter in our lives in order to reflect on what is most important in
our life. It clears the way for us to hear His voice speaking to our hearts.
St.
Benedict says (chapter 42) we are called to strive for silence and in
chapter 4, we are called to have a love for silence. So many who come
to us today are seeking a more prayerful life for themselves and their
families. I have three young women with children who want to be Oblates as they
want their family to have a more balanced life. We already have young families relating to our monastery that are trying as much as possible in the chaotic world, to bring focus on the things which will bring us eternal life- prayer and love of Christ - into the lives of their children.
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| Tomie dePaola- Days of the Blackbird |
Mother Hildegard:
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing! At a time when I am struggling to not fall apart or react in a less than spiritual way, I was led to your Blog.
Our TV has been on at a minimum of 15 hours a day since this entire Coronavirus information began. I am thankful for the information from the CDC and some others, but struggle to understand my friends and family and the panic of all of this. I was a Corpsman in the USNR and a Scrub Tech in one of our local hospitals years and years ago, so I do understand that it is most important to "socially distance" yourself/myself from others. I have tried to do this and have been pretty good about it, but my dear husband is a News Junkie and, I hate to say this out loud to myself, I absolutely cannot take any more of this incessant, repeating noise.
So, I came downstairs to my "Prayer Room." An instant breath of fresh air flowed through me.
Getting back to my original thoughts, NOISE! I was doing my Noonday prayers and some other readings while downstairs in my Quiet Prayer Room with noise cancelling headphones on, completed my prayers and readings and felt a tug in my heart telling me to go onto your Blogsite. HERE, your Blog, is where I found that inner peace that I so often strive for. SILENCE and PEACE are the answers that I have been searching for over these past few weeks. Thank you for your guidance and God Bless You All. P.S. I will pray for forgiveness for my "irritation" regarding the constant noise in my home.
Looking forward to visiting with you and further discusssing my desire to become an Oblate associated with your monastery, as soon as it is safe for you all! Thank you again for your words of wisdom!