Proverbs 10:19

[Kateri89]

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech".

 

I'm sitting here pondering this verse and wondering about the ways we can all apply it to our lives.  For example, I think about religious Sisters/Nuns who eat meals in silence and some Orders who do most of their work in silence.  It seems to me that not only are we more likely to sin when our words are excessive, but that the silence helps us to nurture a spirit of internal prayer in our hearts.  I know that's why some Orders keep silence throughout the day.

 

Mother Teresa said, "What is essential is not what we say but what God tells us and what He tells others through us. In silence He listens to us; in silence He speaks to our souls. In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice."  I believe it's important to evangelize and teach others the faith, but I think our words are more effective when we make time for silent prayer in our daily lives.  We can't hear God if we are always talking.  Thoughts?

 

P.S. I've never posted in Transmundane Lane so I don't know if this topic fits here.  :think:

[AccountDeleted]

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech".

 

I'm sitting here pondering this verse and wondering about the ways we can all apply it to our lives.  For example, I think about religious Sisters/Nuns who eat meals in silence and some Orders who do most of their work in silence.  It seems to me that not only are we more likely to sin when our words are excessive, but that the silence helps us to nurture a spirit of internal prayer in our hearts.  I know that's why some Orders keep silence throughout the day.

 

Mother Teresa said, "What is essential is not what we say but what God tells us and what He tells others through us. In silence He listens to us; in silence He speaks to our souls. In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice."  I believe it's important to evangelize and teach others the faith, but I think our words are more effective when we make time for silent prayer in our daily lives.  We can't hear God if we are always talking.  Thoughts?

 

P.S. I've never posted in Transmundane Lane so I don't know if this topic fits here.  :think:

 

Beautiful, thank you SrK

 

In chapter 21 of the Rule of St Albert (the Rule that is used by Carmelites) it says...

 

[quote]

[Chapter 21]

The Apostle would have us keep silence, for in silence he tells us to work. As the Prophet also makes known to us: Silence is the way to foster holiness. Elsewhere he says: Your strength will lie in silence and hope. For this reason I lay down that you are to keep silence from after Compline until after Prime the next day. At other times, although you need not keep silence so strictly, be careful not to indulge in a great deal of talk, for, as Scripture has it -- and experience teaches us no less -- sin will not be wanting where there is much talk, and he who is careless in speech will come to harm; and elsewhere: The use of many words brings harm to the speaker's soul. And our Lord says in the Gospel: Every rash word uttered will have to be accounted for on judgement day. Make a balance then, each of you, to weigh his words in; keep a tight rein on your mouths, lest you should stumble and fall in speech, and your fall be irreparable and prove mortal. Like the Prophet, watch your step lest your tongue give offence, and employ every care in keeping silent, which is the way to foster holiness.

[/quote]

 

I am trying to keep a little more silent at this time of year - even online.I have seen a real lack of charity develop online through too much posting, my own and others so it helps to be reminded that silence can help us increase in virtue. Advent is a good time to scale back a little on the Internet presence, at least for me it is, and I am trying only to respond occasionally to those things that seem significant to me. So thanks for the reminder.

[AccountDeleted]

Silence seems to be a theme for Advent...

 

An Advent Wrapped in Silence

 

[quote]

Friday, November 30, 2012

5 Ideas: An Advent Wrapped in Silence

 

 

 

A woman wrapped in silence and the wait
Of silence was her heart that heard

These words are from a classic narrative poem by John Lynch. "Wrapped in silence" is a beautiful phrase to describe Mary but it could also apply to the entire season of Advent.

Mary was a woman wrapped in silence. Her life was a contemplative response to the action of God in her soul. Our Advent is also meant to be wrapped in silence, enabling us to respond to God's love with openness.

Jesus, in the womb of Mary, was also wrapped in silence. His divinity was clothed in human flesh, given to him from the genetic material of his mother Mary. As an unborn child, Jesus lay in the silence of Mary's womb, awaiting the moment of his birth.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3). How are we born again? Nicodemus understands Jesus literally at first, and thinks that we must return to our mother's womb. But Jesus tells him that we must be born in the Spirit in order to see the kingdom of God.

How can we be born in the Spirit?

Like Jesus entered the womb of Mary, we can imagine ourselves spiritually entering the womb of God. As Mary lent Jesus her flesh, God lends us his divinity, allowing us to become like Him. We enter the womb of God to be spiritually fed and sanctified. Like a mother feeds her child, God feeds us the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ in the Eucharist. God also feeds us graces through His Word, our prayer and the other sacraments.

We grow in holiness when, like little children, we live in loving dependence on God, in the silent womb of his loving care.

We can leave the womb of sanctification if we choose. We can eat the forbidden fruits of sin, and pretend that we are adults, that we know what is best. But only God feeds us eternal food. And it is only this food that will satisfy our souls.

This Advent I have decided to enter the silent womb of God and, like Mary, to wrap myself in silence so that I can grow closer to Jesus. I am doing this by taking a break from blogging and all social media for the season of Advent.

If you want to join me in an Advent wrapped in silence, here are some ideas:

1. Amp up the Grace: Nothing helps us listen to God more than the sacraments. They increase our union with the Trinity who dwells in us through baptism. Try adding an extra Mass into your schedule. Go to confession before Christmas. Pray an hour of adoration every week before the Eucharist. Even if you do just one of these things, it will be a precious addition to your Advent season.

2. Take Time for Spiritual Reading: Set aside time during your day or week to read a good spiritual book. Need some suggestions? Advent Grace is a wonderful book of daily Gospel meditations for Advent, written by my sisters at the Daughters of St. Paul. A Woman Wrapped in Silence, the narrative poem quoted at the beginning of this post, and The Reed of God are also beautiful Advent books.

3. Take a Break: Integrate a technology break into your day or week, or heck try the entire season of Advent! (e.g. Facebook fast during Advent, no technology on Sundays or in the evenings, put aside cell phone when you come home from work, one night a week talk or pray with the family rather than watch TV). Some ideas for online time well spent: Listen to Father Barron's weekly homilies for Advent. Keep up with Father Pontifex's Advent Youtube videos.

4. Do What Energizes You: Do more of the things that make you feel happy to be alive this Advent. Maybe it's art, writing, reading, sports, service or cooking. Pay attention to the activities that leave you feeling energized and the ones that don't. You may be surprised that the activities that involve pouring yourself out for others, while physically tiring, can be the most energizing. When we actively discern the activities we engage in, we have more psychological space to make good decisions about prayer and our relationship with God.

5. Moments of Silence: We may think that we need to cocoon ourselves from the world in order to have a contemplative Advent, but the truth is that we can find God in our everyday activities, we just need to make the effort! During your day, try to continually fix your gaze on Jesus. If, moment by moment, we make an effort to unify ourselves to the presence of God, (who is right within us through baptism!), our lives will be transformed. And Advent will truly be a season wrapped in the silent peace of God.

 

May God bless you this Advent, you will all be in my prayers.

See you on the other side of this sacred season!

 

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[BarbTherese]

3. Take a Break: Integrate a technology break into your day or week, or heck try the entire season of Advent! (e.g. Facebook fast during Advent, no technology on Sundays or in the evenings, put aside cell phone when you come home from work, one night a week talk or pray with the family rather than watch TV). Some ideas for online time well spent: Listen to Father Barron's weekly homilies for Advent. Keep up with Father Pontifex's Advent Youtube videos.

 

 

 

Just finishing listening to Fr Barron and worth it as always (Homily on First Sunday of Advent).  Thanks for sharing!  Will get round to keeping up to Fr Pontifex on UTube through Advent and putting both sites into Favourites.

 

 

[BarbTherese]

3. Take a Break: Integrate a technology break into your day or week, or heck try the entire season of Advent! (e.g. Facebook fast during Advent, no technology on Sundays or in the evenings, put aside cell phone when you come home from work, one night a week talk or pray with the family rather than watch TV). Some ideas for online time well spent: Listen to Father Barron's weekly homilies for Advent. Keep up with Father Pontifex's Advent Youtube videos.

 

 

 

Just finishing listening to Fr Barron and worth it as always (Homily on First Sunday of Advent).  Thanks for sharing!  Will get round to keeping up to Fr Pontifex on UTube through Advent and putting both sites into Favourites.

 

 

[BarbTherese]

I have read somewhere or other and tried to research on Google for an author with no luck.............."in company we have our words to watch, and in silence our thoughts".  Nothing I dont think has that potential to be quite so self confronting as silence and there are all kinds of silences.  I read in another place somewhere "get the basic energy up to your ears" and I long laboured over this..........over what it actually meant............. until I started to hear the goings on in my own head and most self confronting.

It is all a question of balance, I think, and probably especially for those of us who are 'in the world' rather than separated from it.  Its a question of times for very important, invaluable and absolutely necessary, prayerful silence in a probably busy day - and times for speech and the understanding and wisdom to speak well -  and to speak well, one needs to be a listener, to be able to hear what is really being said and to hear with the heart, not only the head.  We need God's Gift of prayerful silence, and His Gift of speaking well.

Edited December 7, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[LouisvilleFan]

"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." -Proverbs 17:28

[BarbTherese]

..............ahhhh motivation and objective ...........  :console:

Edited December 7, 2012 by BarbaraTherese