The Gift of Silence

When I attended Mass this morning, I thought of my last Blog, 'The Time for Words is Over'.

Before Mass, we usually sit in silence, waiting for the service to begin. I find the silence almost tangible as it wraps itself around me, providing a helpful space as I prepare for the liturgy that is about to gather us into its timeless action. However, some people seem unable to cope with the stillness. They have a compulsive need to talk! Recently, a person, irritated by the intrusion of chatter, dared to say in a loud voice, “Silence Please!”. The building almost sighed with relief.

There are no doubt many reasons why people feel uncomfortable with silence. We live in a noisy world. The sound of TV, radio, music app, or phone, and even the neighbour's lawnmower, continually surround us. We have forgotten or perhaps have never learnt, to appreciate the gift of silence.

An old Quaker saying is "Do not speak unless you can improve upon the silence."  Quakers are a group of people who have learnt the power of silence. One Quaker, Brent Bill, describes his awakening to the gift of silence in his book 'Holy Silence'. The moment occurred during one of their Sunday meetings. There was the usual chatter as people arrived and settled down as the meeting began. Slowly, as the exterior sounds dropped away, Brent was left with his internal chatter. All the random images and words that so readily fill our minds when the events of everyday life no longer demand our attention. Gradually, this too settled, and he was dropped into a well of holy silence that guided him into the deep waters of his soul. That was when he became aware of the Divine presence deep inside him. This awareness changed his hour of silence. (2)

The Catholic Priest and Franciscan, Richard Rohr, once said:

We cannot attain the Divine Presence

because we are already totally in the Divine Presence.

What's absent is awareness. (3)

When this happens, the American priest, Barbara Brown Taylor suggests, we will feel 'grasped by beauty, gratitude, awe, wonder, love, hope, joy and a sense of peace'.(4) Isn't that something we all long to experience?

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga 

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey

Phil

1. https://www.elitedaily.com/p/why-silence-is-so-uncomfortable-heres-how-to-get-more-comfortable-with-quiet-moments-8762651

2. Brent Bill, J, Holy Silence – The Gift of Quaker Spirituality, Paraclete, 2005.

3. Rohr, R, Loving the Presence in the Present, https://cac.org/loving-the-presence-in-the-present-2015-12-29/

4. Taylor, Barbara Brown, An Altar of the World., A Geography of Faith, Harper One, 2010.