Monastics ought to be zealous for silence at all times, but especially during the hours of the night.

That was today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict.  The first part of the sentence is not surprising at all.  For those in the monastic life, silence should be a regular part of their daily life.  However, the last part of the sentence caught my attention, "but especially during the hours of the night."  On the surface, it's clear that Benedict expects those living in the monastery to preserve the "Grand Silence" that begins after compline.  But, I wonder if Benedict's experience mimics my own?  Here's what I mean.

There have been numerous times when the old insomnia monster raises his ugly head and I've found myself unable to sleep around 2 or 3 a.m.  I used to lay there and try to go to sleep.  That doesn't work too well, as you probably know.  I would end up tossing and turning and turning and tossing and only end up more awake than ever.  Now when that happens, I just get up and I often make my way into the other room where a couple of my icons are and an oil lamp.  I light the lamp and sit in silence.  More often than not, I open my prayer book and begin to pray vigils.  You know what I've discovered over the last few years?  God often meets me there in the silence.  There's a palpable silence at that time of night that I don't experience at any other time and sometimes God chooses to meet me there in the silence.

Does God use the silence to speak to me or does the silence just provide the right space for me to listen?  I'm not sure.  I just know what has happened in the past and I know that I sometimes long for that silence.

On a side note, I was listening to a podcast by Frederica Mathewes-Green this week and she shared about her regular habit of rising during the middle of the night to pray the Jesus Prayer.  Evidently, she's had this routine for years, since her children were babies.  She just never has stopped getting up during the middle of the night to pray.

The Psalmist says it well in Psalm 119:  "At midnight I will rise to give you thanks, because of your righteous judgments."

. . . .for the knowledge of God is received in divine silence.  (St. John of the Cross)

Monks should diligently cultivate silence at all times, but especially at night. . . When all have assembled, they should pray Compline; and on leaving Compline, no one will be permitted to speak further. If anyone is found to transgress this rule of silence, he must be subjected to severe punishment, except on occasions when guests require attention or the abbot wishes to give someone a command, but even this is to be done with the utmost seriousness and proper restraint. (From the Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 42:1, 8-11)

A few years ago, I participated in a group retreat and during that retreat I was reminded of the importance of intentional times of quiet in my life. Most of us have very busy lives and to some degree, very noisy lives. We don't live in a monastery where living a quiet life is encouraged and undergirded by the very structure of the monastic life. Instead, we have to look for times and opportunities in our own lives where we can be silent. For the monks who have followed and continue to follow the Rule of St. Benedict, the evening was the time of "Grand Silence." After Compline was prayed, no talking was permitted until after Mass the next morning.

What does that mean for us? It may mean we make some intentional time in the evening to be quiet. Around my house, we've tried to turn off the TV and spend some time in silence before bedtime. It's a great time to journal, practice Lectio or simply enjoy the quiet. We then pray Compline together before going to sleep. It may be that St. Benedict has good advice here, especially in the noise-filled world we live in today.

Peace.

I had the privilege of spending the weekend at the Abbey of Gethsemani for the Annual Lay Cistercian Retreat. It was great. A good balance of activity and silence. The topic was spiritual companioning and the group spent some time looking at Aelred of Rievaulx's writings.

What did I enjoy the most? Giving myself to the monastic schedule as much as I could. Rising before daybreak to pray with the monks. Gathering in the abbey church every few hours to chant the Psalms. Spending time in silence--no tv, no computer, nothing to distract me. I am always reminded of how much noise I have in my regular life when I spend a few days at the monastery.

I did do some hiking and of course, I took my camera along. You can view some of those moments from the weekend on my flickr page.

Some of my friends find it funny that I bought the soundtrack to the movie, Into Great Silence. What's up with that?