 Introduction 
In the relentless noise of a city that never
sleeps, is it possible to find an oasis
of
silence? Can the heart find a place
of peace
amidst the honking ruckus of the streets?
Where is the voice of God to be found
in
our modern day?
"And behold, the LORD passed by,
and
a great and strong wind rent the mountains,
and broke in pieces the rocks before
the
LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind;
and
after the wind an earthquake, but the
LORD
was not in the earthquake; and after
the
earthquake a fire, but the LORD was
not in
the fire; and after the fire a still
small
voice. And when Elijah heard it, he
wrapped
his face in his mantle and went out
and stood
at the entrance of the cave."
(1)
"'In this oasis of quiet,' said
the
Pope, 'amidst the marvelous spectacle
of
nature, one easily senses the value
of silence,
today an increasingly rare good. The
many
opportunities for relationships and
for information
that modern society offers risk sometimes
eliminating room for recollection,
to the
point of making people incapable of
reflecting
and praying. In reality, only in silence
can man succeed in listening, in the
intimacy
of his conscience, to the voice of
God which
truly makes him free...The perfect
model
of listening to God is Mary...May Mary,
whom
we will celebrate in a few days as
Queen
of Mount Carmel, help us to see in
the beauty
of creation a reflection of divine
glory,
and encourage us to aim with all of
our strength
to the spiritual peak of holiness.'"
(2)
Let us explore some of the many nuances
of
silence whose whispers are scarcely
heard.
1. Kings 19:11-13a
2. Pope John Paul II, Vatican Information
Service, ANG/SILENCE : PRAYER/LES COMBES
VIS 040712 (290))
(c) Paul Buis, 2004
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