11 July 2020
Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot
Yesterday’s reflection on this blog was an encouragement to use words in prayer, such as the psalms. Today’s reflection points in the opposite direction: we must also remember, when praying, to spend time in silence. Today is the feast of St. Benedict, and in the sixth chapter of his rule he calls for a spirit of silence to reign in his monasteries. St. Benedict was concerned that conversation has a tendency to excess, and he quoted Proverbs 10:19: “where words are many, sin is not wanting; but those who restrain their lips do well.”
The prophet Isaiah also knew of the dangers of chatter. In his sixth chapter he talks about a divine vision that was revealed to him, and after seeing lofty, mystical realities, he was very much afraid. ““Woe is me,” he said, “I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah knew that his speech needed purification.
In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples: “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). A disciple of Jesus is not someone who goes around boasting of his or her own ideas. On the contrary, our task is to proclaim what was whispered to us by Jesus in the darkness. We must enter that dark place and listen as if for a whisper. Silencing ourselves is much harder than silencing a cell phone. It takes time and work. May God bless you.