The Gift of Silence

Nathan Ahearne contemplates our need for silence, so that we can be able to treasure the God who dwells in us.

Most homes with young children can be very noisy places. I remember a saying from my childhood that warned, “children should be seen but not heard” but these days, if I can’t see my kids, I am anxious to hear what they’re doing! Our evening meals are particularly loud, with conversations about of our days and consternation about my cooking.

My wife and I enjoy these boisterous moments with our children, but we also look forward to a few minutes of silence and some time to chat in peace before the day ends. Dr Sally Longley writes in her book Conversations In Silence:

When we become still, attentive, and seek silence where we are, God comes as the voice of Love singing in our soul, and we discover God’s voice and our voice becoming one. God comes singing to us in silence.

The other day, I came across the story where Zechariah doubted that his wife Elizabeth would conceive and have a son as foretold by the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:5-25). They were both well along in years, so Zechariah asked, “how can I be sure of this?” His unbelief led him to be silenced for more than nine months. That’s a long time to not be able to utter a single word.

In that time of being quiet, Zechariah must have had a lot of time to ponder God’s work. So much so, that when he was able to speak again, he praised and gave thanks to the Lord for what had been done, not only for him and his family but also for all the blessings and promise from the time of Abraham and the old prophets.

This contemplative gratitude continues to echo in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with Mary facing all sorts of challenges in her pregnancy, including rejection, persecution, and homelessness. Despite these difficulties, we read that she “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” Mary’s silent pondering amidst the chaos of life was made possible by the Christ life that lived within her and in us.

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This contemplative approach to life is an important part of an active spiritual life. Daniel O’Leary (English priest) describes these moments (or way of living) as "Windows of Wonder," offering the experience of a deeper sense of self, others and God. Not to be more spiritual—we are as spiritual at this moment as we are ever going to be—but more spiritually alive. He says, “contemplation is not a technique to be mastered but a journey inside ourselves to become one with what already is.” Then beautifully he captures the experience: “When we do this and glimpse what is there, it takes our breath away.”

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A contemplative approach to life is an important part of an active spiritual life. #CatholicMom

We may often be so busy with all of life’s questions that our minds become overloaded as a consequence and we forget to simply be. Or we wonder like Zechariah, “how can this happen?” as life throws yet another curve ball. I hope that amidst life’s responsibilities there are a few quiet moments for us to treasure the God who dwells in us and be still.

Still my busy mind from all the energy that surrounds me.
Still my anxiety, my worries, and bring me to the present moment. 
Still my distractions, let me embrace the quiet.
Still my thoughts and quiet in me any guilt I carry. 
Still in me my doubts, my anxieties about your love for me.
Still my heart so that I remember you love me unconditionally and are here with me, now.

What is it like when you experience an extended period of silence?

What are you grateful for in your moments of silence?

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