Silence in the spiritual life unifies the heart and expands interiority, opening us to the relationship with God in a deeper and more radical way, transforming all life and enabling us to listen attentively to the Word of God.
This expression of St. Paul means that when something
of him dies Christ can enter his heart. "When I go out, God comes in."
When something dies, God shows up. Silence is to make God present. It is having
the experience of the eternal in our life. When something is present, we
don't have to imagine it. We are used to thinking and imagining. You have to
feel and not think. So, it is with God's world. We think about it, but we don't
feel it as presence. Silence can make God evident. No intermediaries. Without
stopping the possibility of an encounter full of experience.
Silence entails the capacity for listening, dialogue,
reflection and depth in the word. In silence the word reaches fullness. It instills tenderness, respect and tolerance
in us, helps us to place ourselves in the place of the other, to be
understanding and compassionate. It enables us to be open to the new and to
love for all men and women, particularly those most in need. The person grows
in silence, because it is the way to descend to the depths of our being, to
confront oneself.
