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Silence and the Soul’s Rest
Silence is a virtue. Silence is a prayer. Silence is misunderstood by many. There are cloistered souls who practice silence but are not silent because, interiorly, they are distracted, anxious, and chattering. Silence is your soul in communion with God. It is in silence that you come to hear the voice of God. It is in silence that you come to see the face of God. It is in silence that you come to feel the touch of God. Silence is the embrace of love between a soul and God.
The Love Crucified Community. The Simple Path to Union with God (p. 276). Kindle Edition.
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Even though I live a cloistered life, I still find it difficult to practice silence. After all these years, it remains a slow and sometimes elusive journey. As an introvert with a well-developed extroverted side—thanks to growing up in a large family with many brothers and sisters—I’ve come to realize that this duality hasn’t made me well-balanced. Much of my fatigue stems from a lack of discipline in how I relate to others. Silence, as a virtue, has grown slowly in my life.
When I’m deeply fatigued, I tend to become silly—perhaps even overwhelming to those around me. In its own way, this silliness helps me cope with exhaustion, but not in a healthy or sustainable manner. I’ve discovered that silence can ease my fatigue by helping me feel less scattered. Being an “airhead” has its downfalls.
As I age, prayer has become more important than ever. I sense the Lord patiently leading me deeper into communion with Him, even though I still wrestle with Him over this. Yet He remains faithful, loving, and endlessly encouraging.
I’ve found that using prayer beads helps me in this journey. While some find them distracting, for me they are a lifeline—allowing my mind and body to relax and open to the Holy Spirit.
My goofy self will likely always be with me, and I’m not sure I want it to go away entirely. But until the day I die, I will probably continue to struggle with the discipline of inner silence. Still, I live in hope._-BrMD
