“Nothing resembles the language of God
so much as does silence.” —Meister Eckhard
The season of Lent offers us the opportunity to enter into silence: spending extra time in prayer; participating in the solemn Stations of the Cross; abstaining from negative speech and gossip; making a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. All of these are ways to enter into the language of God.
Too often we think of silence as loneliness, as boring, as being out-of-touch. And so we cling to mindless amusements and distractions that fill the silent spaces in our day. I wonder if our running away from silence is founded in fear. Are we afraid that if we spend time in silence we will recognize that deep down something is missing? Might we notice that deep down we are wounded, frightened of life, and unsure of the future? Will we discover that we don’t fully trust and believe all we think we know about God?
It takes courage and faith to understand that silence does not need to be scary, something to avoid. It is in times of silence that we can discover a hidden wholeness. It is by conversing with God in the language of silence that we come closer to God. It is in the language of silence that we hear of God’s dreams for us. It is in the language of silence that we hear God’s shouts of love.
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Sister Lisa Maurer
Sister Lisa Maurer was born and raised in Sleep Eye, Minnesota. Before entering the Monastery in 2007, she taught and coached in Catholic Schools within the New Ulm Diocese. Sister Lisa Made her Perpetual Monastic Profession in July ll, 2012. Her first ministry as a Benedictine Sister was working at the parishes of St. Lawrence and St. Joseph in Duluth. Currently she is Director of Mission Integration for the Benedictine Health System.