{"id":296,"date":"2019-03-26T14:14:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T14:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/?p=296"},"modified":"2019-04-01T09:31:11","modified_gmt":"2019-04-01T08:31:11","slug":"on-the-spirit-of-silence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Commentary on Chapter 6 of the Rule of Benedict<\/strong><\/em>   <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Silence here is considered not only as rules about when to speak but the reason, and\nmeaning of the \u2018spirit\u2019 of silence. Benedict is a practical not an abstract theologian.\n\u2018The one who prays is a theologian and a theologian is one who prays\u2019, said Evagrius.\nYet reading this chapter carefully helps us understand the mystical tradition better too\n\u2013 why, for example, Meister Eckhart says that \u2018there is nothing so much like God as\nsilence.\u2019\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This short chapter opens the mind of the Rule to us. As ever, it is saturated with\nScripture, actually thinking in the words and with Biblical ideas especially those of the\nPsalms and Wisdom literature. \u2018The Prophet says I have set a guard to my mouth\u201d.\nLike the Letter of St James that he also quotes, mindful speaking is seen as part of the\nguarding of the heart \u2013 the watching at the door of the heart for the birth of negative\nthoughts or \u2018demons\u2019 like those of anger or greed. To have a watchful heart we need\ncontrol of speech and there is no control without restraint.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benedict focuses on spoken words but in our media-driven world, with our\ncompulsive and often impetuous use of cell phones and email we would be wise to\nextend this to all our technologies of communication. Knowing when to wait before\nclicking \u2018send\u2019 or phoning someone back needs discretion, the \u2018mother of all virtues\u2019.\nEspecially when we are agitated or like to close a conversation we need this mindful\nrestraint and patience. Seeds of any of the eight \u2018principal faults\u2019, the seven deadly\nsins can be latent in any speech act. St Augustine distinguished between the voice and\nthe word that is carried on the voice (John the Baptist was the voice, Jesus the Word).\nAnd the medium can carry a virus (verbal or nonverbal) that distorts the\ncommunication of the message.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So important does Benedict consider this that he says permission to speak should\nrarely be given even to good disciples. It is for the teacher to speak and the disciple to\nlisten. In our culture of self-expression and self-exposure this is hard but necessary to\ngrasp. It is about self-restraint, however, not repression due to fear. We are led again\nas often in the Rule to the connection of discipline (in love not fear) with liberty and\nmaturity.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As in our meditation and saying of the mantra, positive, conscious silence requires\ndeep listening. Strong mutual obedience, which is the fruit of listening, then leads to\nharmony and union between individuals and in community, not to impersonal\nhierarchy and subordination. It means more than just doing what a superior officer\ntells you. In order to enhance the living conditions favourable to developing this\nBenedict comes out strongly against coarse jests, idle words and words that move to\nlaughter.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In any group of people humour can be abused. It can become a superficial avoidance\nof real communication. The laughter can ring hollow \u2013 \u2018laughter at what ceases to\namuse\u2019 as T.S. Eliot chillingly put it. When the spirit of silence has been understood\nand respected, however, the laughter in life becomes joyful not cold, celebratory not\ncruel.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our daily meditation develops all that Benedict means by the spirit of silence. But we can always benefit, too, from examining the practical ways we live this by taking the opportunities for silence – in the car, in the kitchen, in our daily exercise, even in mindful emailing and cell-phone use. Benedict looks at the practice to test the theory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With much love 
Laurence<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This letter appeared in Via Vitae, the Benedictine Oblate Newsletter – No. 9 – December 2008 .<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Commentary on Chapter 6 of the Rule of Benedict Silence here is considered not only as rules about when to speak but the reason, and meaning of the \u2018spirit\u2019 of silence. Benedict is a practical not an abstract theologian. \u2018The one who prays is a theologian and a theologian is one who prays\u2019, said Evagrius. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[35,32,31],"class_list":{"0":"post-296","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-articles","7":"tag-ch-6","8":"tag-rule-of-benedict","9":"tag-silence","10":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOn the Spirit of Silence (RB 6) - Oblates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6) - Oblates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Commentary on Chapter 6 of the Rule of Benedict Silence here is considered not only as rules about when to speak but the reason, and meaning of the \u2018spirit\u2019 of silence. Benedict is a practical not an abstract theologian. \u2018The one who prays is a theologian and a theologian is one who prays\u2019, said Evagrius. […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oblates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-26T14:14:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-04-01T08:31:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elba Rodr\u00edguez\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elba Rodr\u00edguez\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elba Rodr\u00edguez\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/person\/d49a16700c2d0c6ee435d3ca360bba44\"},\"headline\":\"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6)\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-26T14:14:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-01T08:31:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\"},\"wordCount\":612,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"CH 6\",\"Rule of Benedict\",\"Silence\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\",\"name\":\"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6) - Oblates\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-26T14:14:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-01T08:31:11+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/\",\"name\":\"Oblates\",\"description\":\"A Contemporary Spiritual Life-Style\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Oblates\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/cropped-wccm_logo_big-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/cropped-wccm_logo_big-2.png\",\"width\":331,\"height\":67,\"caption\":\"Oblates\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/person\/d49a16700c2d0c6ee435d3ca360bba44\",\"name\":\"Elba Rodr\u00edguez\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b16bc249c5bab57afac198459cbad7e5ccc023ef071f4c1c2cb39a0f59d8580?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b16bc249c5bab57afac198459cbad7e5ccc023ef071f4c1c2cb39a0f59d8580?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elba Rodr\u00edguez\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/author\/elba\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6) - Oblates","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6) - Oblates","og_description":"Commentary on Chapter 6 of the Rule of Benedict Silence here is considered not only as rules about when to speak but the reason, and meaning of the \u2018spirit\u2019 of silence. Benedict is a practical not an abstract theologian. \u2018The one who prays is a theologian and a theologian is one who prays\u2019, said Evagrius. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/","og_site_name":"Oblates","article_published_time":"2019-03-26T14:14:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-04-01T08:31:11+00:00","author":"Elba Rodr\u00edguez","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elba Rodr\u00edguez","Estimated reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/"},"author":{"name":"Elba Rodr\u00edguez","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/person\/d49a16700c2d0c6ee435d3ca360bba44"},"headline":"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6)","datePublished":"2019-03-26T14:14:34+00:00","dateModified":"2019-04-01T08:31:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/"},"wordCount":612,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#organization"},"keywords":["CH 6","Rule of Benedict","Silence"],"articleSection":["Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/","url":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/","name":"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6) - Oblates","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-03-26T14:14:34+00:00","dateModified":"2019-04-01T08:31:11+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/readings-and-resources\/articles\/on-the-spirit-of-silence\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"On the Spirit of Silence (RB 6)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#website","url":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/","name":"Oblates","description":"A Contemporary Spiritual Life-Style","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#organization","name":"Oblates","url":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/cropped-wccm_logo_big-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/cropped-wccm_logo_big-2.png","width":331,"height":67,"caption":"Oblates"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/person\/d49a16700c2d0c6ee435d3ca360bba44","name":"Elba Rodr\u00edguez","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b16bc249c5bab57afac198459cbad7e5ccc023ef071f4c1c2cb39a0f59d8580?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b16bc249c5bab57afac198459cbad7e5ccc023ef071f4c1c2cb39a0f59d8580?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elba Rodr\u00edguez"},"url":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/author\/elba\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":350,"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions\/350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oblates.wccm.org\/v2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}