Chapter 42: The great silence after Compline
Silence should be sought at all times by monks and nuns and this is especially important for them at night time.
(From para. 1 of Ch. 42 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
I need outer quiet for rest, but true inner silence allows me to rest in the presence of God, and God's renewing energy.
(From para. 1 of Ch. 42 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
I need outer quiet for rest, but true inner silence allows me to rest in the presence of God, and God's renewing energy.
"and when they come out from Compline,
ReplyDeleteno one shall be allowed to say anything from that time on."
My closing sounds of the day are those that set the stage for my time of dreams. If I wish to invite God to speak to me through my dreams, I must create a receptive environment.
Silence is like a field. It needs to be "cultivated". Raking away the topsoil filled with the stones of distractions of phone calls, entertainment and housework, I allow the mind and heart to unite-the mind resting like the field ready for the seeds of the heart to be sown in the quiet.
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