"Knowledge of God is received in divine silence."
-- Saint John of the Cross
Our attention shatters on the world around us. People and things produce within us restlessness, and our feelings seek objects that are ever-changing. Our desires reach out for one thing after another. The will is arrested by a multitude of intentions, often conflicting. We are torn, self-contradictory.
Yet genuine religion calls us to composure, saving the mind from the many objects which break it into a thousand or more fragments. The mind is focused on the all-important: God, Immutable Truth. The Truth fills us with humility and an appreciation for the mystery of things. Unity of soul is restored; depth is re-established.
When we are composed, we can engage in stillness and silence. Both of these are crucial for hearing the Lord.
During Holy Mass there are periods of silence. But in order for silence to prevail, stillness must be present. Perhaps you've noticed that it is during these moments of silence that people cough or fidget? This is because we are used to the shallowness of a wholly exterior life, and, lacking composure, we recoil from stillness, silence. Yet it is only in the silence of stillness that some of the most beautiful experiences of human existence can unfold. It is only through the silence of stillness -- when the soul is ready to receive the Word -- that a building is elevated to a Church.
