Our Lady of Silence
Silence is a very important part of the spiritual life. It fosters prayer and holiness. It fosters listening to God and hearing God’s will for us. It also helps our emotional life for it helps us to be calm, ordered and still. "Be still and know that I am God," we are told in the Bible. It is interesting and significant that we are told—not to read, or learn or study—but to be still to know God. God speaks in the silence of our heart. God speaks to us, mostly, when we are still and silent.
Our Lady can help us to be or to become silent. If we turn to Our Blessed Mother in prayer and ask for the grace to be silent, to have silence in our life, then we shall be enriched by the blessing of silence. Each day we should set aside at least a few moments for a time of silence with Mary, placing ourselves in Our Lady’s presence and being quiet, still and silent. During this prayer time we will be renewed and refreshed by graces of silence and stillness given to us by Our Lady. Here’s a little verse that might help:
Mary, Mother of God teach me to be still.
Then listening I’ll understand to do God’s Holy Will.
These graces must be cherished throughout the rest of the day. Turn off the T.V., the radio; turn off the noise. Seek silence. Be still and prayerfully quiet. Our world is filled with noise. Break the noise habit. Another encroachment upon silence is the "noise of news." By learning the news even from the newspaper, our hearts can be disturbed and our minds filled with worries. A dose of the world’s tragedies can be unsettling and unsilencing. Strive to be more peace-filled. It does take effort, it does take prayer and it takes giving up things—like noise.
Ask Our Lady to help you to increase the silence in your life. Spend time each day cultivating silence. Tell your loved ones what you are doing so they’ll understand. And when you have cultivated a more silent and calm mind and heart return thanks to Our Blessed Mother for this precious, priceless gift.
Then there is another form of silence. It is more difficult. To be silent when hurt, or insulted. To be silent when angry. To refrain from uttering hurting, cutting words. To be silent when opposed or contradicted. This isn’t easy. Ask Our Lady for help. Ask to be a little like Her Son, who was silent before His accusers.
Let’s have a special devotion to Our Lady of Silence. Fr. Abram Ryan, the priest-poet, referred to walking "down the valley of silence." Let’s make an effort to visit that valley. Let’s give silence a place in our life, our minds and our hearts. It will help us to be holier, calmer and healthier. Let’s start today. But we need help. Let’s turn to Our Lady of Silence, to Mary Our Mother.
I thank the webmaster: Rev. Johann G. Roten, SM. for his permission to use the picture of Our Lady of Silence.
