“There are two realities we need to accept: first, silence is an integral part of the development of our interior lives--we cannot develop one without silence; and second, in the modern world, silence is something we have to actively pursue--it rarely comes to us organically anymore. “

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.—Mother Teresa: (1910 – 1997: Founded the Missionaries of Charity)

Scripture Text:(1 KGS 19:9A, 11-16)

At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.
But the word of the LORD came to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?"
He replied, "I have been most zealous for the LORD,
the God of hosts.
But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
torn down your altars,
and put your prophets to the sword.
I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."
The LORD said to him,
"Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.
When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.
Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,
and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,
as prophet to succeed you."

As a society, we tend to freak out about solitude and silence. If we come into an empty house, we turn on the TV for background noise. Gyms feature blaring music to distract us as we pound the treadmill.

But this reading teaches us that we can’t hear the voice of God except in silence.

So here’s my suggestion for today or tomorrow: Turn off all noisemakers in our houses. Do not check our cell phones for an hour or so and invite the Spirit to speak to us. Try to really listen. We might be amazed at what we learn. Give the Spirit a chance to cut through the clutter of our life’s.