Practicing Silence

I am a loud person, I’ll admit it. In my defence however, it’s not ALL my fault! I come from a big Italian family, and that means lots of talking with our hands, and speaking very, very loudly to be heard. It sounds like we are always angry and yelling, but trust me, that’s just how we show love. I didn’t realize this could be a problem however until a time when I was on mission in Scotland, one of my missionary sisters said to me in the middle of a group conversation “Emma, you don’t have to yell, we are right here”! Well, if I am being perfectly honest, I thought at that moment I was actually speaking too quietly, so that comment came as quite a shock! You might be wondering why in the world I am sharing this somewhat embarrassing story with you - let me explain.

Reflecting on this moment woke me up to two profound realizations. Firstly, our current culture tells us that we must be heard, or we are essentially, not “normal”. If you aren’t posting every social event you attend on Instagram, sharing and retweeting every societal awareness campaign on your media platforms, or simply updating your profile with your opinion on the “trending” topics - well, then, “what’s wrong with you”! That is at least what our current society says.

Reflecting on my own life in the context of the story I shared earlier, I realized that I too have fallen into the trap of feeling that my voice deserves and needs to be heard above everyone else’s. And suddenly, everything I share, retweet or speak about is no longer about the topic or issue at hand, it’s about ME. And this brings me to my second realization - that this desire to constantly be speaking and be heard extends to my relationship with God. When I sit down to pray, I suddenly realized that all I am doing is screaming my opinions, anxieties, wants and need at God, and then being frustrated when I get no response!

Friends, sometimes, or most times, we just need to be silent, and listen. It sounds harsh, I know, but Pascal says it perfectly, that “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room, alone”. That really hits home for me, as I am sure it does for some of you. Our souls need silence, for in the silence God can speak to us, console us, and love us. Our Lord is the perfect gentleman, He does not force Himself upon us, rather, He waits for us to make room and invite Him into the silence of our hearts. God is not found in the noise; the constant screaming of words and opinions that we participate in every day through social media and modern culture! No, Saint Mother Teresa says, “God is the friend of silence…we need silence to be able to touch souls”. If we want our lives to be purposeful, if we truly want to make a difference in the souls of those around us and our world, we must learn to stop believing the lie that we have all the answers, and instead take the time to listen to the One who does.

And so, today, instead of opening our phones to scroll through social media or rambling off in prayer about all our complaints, let’s take some time to sit in silence. Yes, for my fellow Italians, this will be hard, but trust me, it IS possible. Be at peace. Be still. Let Christ speak to you and love you. He desires your silence today.