A Dialogue with Silence

2022 July Blog Naja Yazbek  Last Monday at 10pm I sat on the porch by myself. The street was calm and serene. A gentle cool air was playing with our young maple tree and dozens of fireflies were looking for soul mates. An urge for praying grabbed my mind. I closed my eyes and plunged into the silence. Silence invited itself into my prayer time not very long ago. I used to pray loudly by singing, reading and worshipping.

Lately I have discovered that any text helps me to pray. The reception of the Holy Spirit in my soul does not depend on the reading. It relies on my willingness. Silence opens many doors and invites God to visit.
Thomas Merton said: “When your imagination is silent, the forest speaks to you.” That’s what happened to me last Monday, the whole of nature spoke to me. In my silence many angels dialogued with my heart.

This silence training started at Centering Space a few years ago. During the weekly prayer we spend much of the time in silence. This is where I met with the laconic angels. This is where I reckoned how the Maronite hermits, like Saint Charbel, were able to isolate themselves for years. We wrongly think they were alone, actually, silence was their companion till the end.