OCTOBER DEVOTION – DAY – 26 – THE HOLY ROSARY – CULTIVATING THE VIRTUE OF SILENCE

What would happen if we did not speak for one full day? Sometimes there is need to be silent. However, globalization and information technology, the Internet, TV, radio, co-workers, family and friends, are daily bombardments on our conscious mind and hence we overthink, overreact and ultimately confuse our minds (our thinking, feelings and wills) with a lot of issues. This, of course can easily stir up worries, anxieties, fears and other mental and emotional maladies. The antidote to all of these is silence. St. Francis of Assisi expresses the power of silence in these words, “What is it that stands higher than words? Action. What is it that stands higher than action? Silence.” Silence is “God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In order to hear that language, we must learn to be still and to rest in God (Thomas Keating). Little wonder the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

According to Saint Pope John-Paul II: “Listening and meditation are nourished by silence. After the announcement of the mystery and the proclamation of the word, it is fitting to pause and focus one’s attention for a suitable period of time on the mystery concerned, before moving into vocal prayer. A discovery of the importance of silence is one of the secrets of practicing contemplation and meditation. One drawback of a society dominated by technology and the mass media is the fact that silence becomes increasingly difficult to achieve. Just as moments of silence are recommended in the Liturgy, so too in the recitation of the Rosary it is fitting to pause briefly after listening to the word of God, while the mind focuses on the content of a particular mystery.”