Taciturnitas Neither taciturnity nor simply silence. But rather, the disposition to keep silence, the habit and the love of silence, the spirit of silence. St. Hildergard has condemned absolute silence.
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Speech has been given to us at the normal method of our intercourse with our kind; and when men are grouped together in community it seems natural that they should use it. No one has ventured to perpetual silence, for all rules make it lawful to speak to one’s superior and to praise od with the lips. "onsidered as exceptions Columbia Steward, OSB: #anguag #anguage e is a gift gift that that can be used used though thoughtfu tfully lly or though thoughtle tlessl ssly y, humbly humbly or proudly proudly.. Someone constantly aware of the presence of od will know how when to speak.
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Delatte, McCann: $hile $hile its purpos purpose e is to repres repress s tempta temptatio tion, n, such such method method is strain strained, ed, e%aspe e%asperat rated ed and because the regime of signs and symbols if replacing speech presents the same dangers. &ealousy and mi misunderstanding e% e%ists. 'rue sile silenc nce e of of the the soul soul may may be be obt obtai aine ned d in in ano anoth ther er manne nner. Silverstream Priory: Saint Benedict, first of all, presents silence as a means of avoiding sins of the tongue. (oes not Saint &ames say, )*f any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man+ &ames -/01 2nd the same 2postle says, )'he tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood. 2nd the tongue is a fire, a world of ini3uity+ &ames -4560. *n a nutshell 'he 7ule provides for good and useful conversation; it orders silence more or less strict according to time and place; it proclaims it sometimes more insistently, sometimes more gently; it re3uires us to abstain at all times from scurrility, and in #ent to have fewer and more serious conversations.
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'he intention of the "hapter is more of to remind that every real monastic life should be a life of recollection. 'alking lking dist distra ract cts s the the soul, soul, while while sile silenc nce e 8oin 8oined ed to to acti action on pro produc duces es rec recol olle lect ction ion and and give gives s the the spirit marvellous strength Stanza 1 (Slide 3): 9rinciple of the whole chapter is only the development. 9salm -: silence of the just man under oppression St. Benedict gives them a general application, he sees in them the line of conduct suggested to all monks by prudence, wisdom and humility. Since there is a danger of sinning with the tongue and retarding our supernatural growth, we shall be attentive to all that passes our lips and guard them severely, we shall know how to be silent, even when good words are concerned.
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Simply, it means that while recommending to abstain at times from good discourses in the spirit of recollection, recollection, St. Benedict assuredly means that we ust at once suppress suppress evil in ever! word.
there is more reason to refrain from saying bad things because sin will be punished. Delatte, McCann: 'he spirit of the world, made up of pride, levity and disregard of the supernatural, easily takes root in the mind of the talkative monk. Stanza " (Slide #): St. Benedict, admits of the principle of spiritual conversations, but on the condition that they are not multiplied, and that, under the prete$t of mutual assistance, the law of silence is not evaded Delatte, McCann: Since we must avoid the faults of the tongue and their punishment, some reserve is imposed on us, even in the matter of good, pious and edifying conversations, for not even these are without danger. !%&:%'# eneral principle; where there is much talking, it is hard to avoid sin. !%(:)%# 'here is nothing better than the tongue and nothing worse. Delatte, McCann: "iting St. &ames; good conversations, then are only good if they are authori=ed, short and rare. Is, then, all spiritual conversations at times of recreation banned? No. od forbid that we should be ashamed to pronounce his Holy Name.
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Not forbidding to speak of study in recreation time or to broach a serious sub8ect, provided that a dogmatic tone, interminable discussions, and allusions that tend to cause dissension is avoided. 2part from times of recreation, a monk should be sparing of his words. 4 mins for e%change of useful information, Dellate, McCann, referrin* to a Constitution0 +bbot Patric Barry, OSB !+bbey of +mpleforth#: His plea is for moderation and selfcontrol. >onks accept his point and monasteries have become rare and precious places where it is possible to rediscover our true self, hidden beneath the chattering surface, through 3uiet and sile nce and the inner cleanliness it brings. Stanza 3 and $ (Slide %): St. Benedict follows the >aster in re3uiring that all speech be offered humbly i.e. directly and simply0 Delatte and McCann: 'he idea is certainly not to re3uire the disciple to lessen his intercourse with his superiors; he does not recommend him to be so restrained and formal as to weigh and prepare and count his words; but he knows that 3uestions and obligations are often put in a spirit of vainglory. -ospel of Matthew .:/0(: 'he ospel even urges us not to be great talkers.52nd when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (o not be like them, for your ?ather knows what you need before you ask him. Stanza $ (Slide &) +bbot Philip 1awrance, OSB !Monastery of Christ in the Desert# $e need to become persons who are aware of the power of words. $ords shape us and form us. $ords direct our attention and our energies. $ords can build up and they can tear down. @ven a word of truth can be destructive when it is n ot uttered in charity and true love. Saint Benedict is terribly strong in condeming gossip and murmuring in the monastery. $e
need to be deeply aware of the why he condemns gossip and murmuring they kill and destroy. Not only do they kill and destroy another person, they attack the very heart of community charity for one another
S'*+ST+*- +'/+0 (vultuschristi.or) 2bbot Hunter5Blair translates the title of this chapter of the Holy 7ule, De 2aciturnite, as )Af the 9ractice of Silence+. *t might also be translated, )Af the Habit of eeping Silence+. Saint Benedict, first of all, presents silence as a means of avoiding sins of the tongue. (oes not Saint &ames say, )*f any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man+ &ames -/01 2nd the same 2postle says, )'he tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood. 2nd the tongue is a fire, a world of ini3uity+ &ames -4560. Saint Benedict also presents silence as an e%pression of the humility that befits one who is a disciple, that is, a learner in the school of the service of the #ord. 'his is the silence of the man concerning whom $isdom says, )Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors+ 9roverbs :-C0. *t is the silence of the Blessed Dirgin >ary, who )kept all these words, pondering them in her heart+ #uke /EF0. *t is the silence of >ary of Bethany, who )sitting also at the #ord’s feet, heard his word.+ #uke EG-F0. *t is even the silence of the erasene demoniac who, after his deliverance, was found sitting at the feet of &esus. #uke :-40 'he humble man knows that he has come to the monastery to learn. He silences his inward and outward conversations, not in order to stop thinking, but in order to open himself to the splendour of the truth. Blessed @li=abeth of the 'rinity, although not a Benedictine, e%presses something of this understanding of Benedictine silence in her famous prayer A @ternal $ord, utterance of my od, * want to spend my life listening to you, to become totally teachable so that * might learn all from you. ?or the son of Saint Benedict, listening to the $ord means listening to the teaching of the abbot. 'his is, as Saint &ohn 9aul ** puts it, )the listening that changes life+ Orientale 1umen, article EG0. )*t becometh the master to speak and to teach, but it beseemeth the disciple to be silent and to listen+ "hapter D*0. 2bbot Herwegen suggests that Saint Benedict is, in this chapter, concerned with reserving the right to teach to the abbot alone, lest self5appointed teachers attract disciples to themselves and so divide the community into multiple schools and factions. @ven monasteries are not preserved from the division caused by men who arrogate to themselves the role of teaching 'he time will surely come, when men will grow tired of sound doctrine, always itching to hear something fresh; and so they will provide themselves with a continuous succession of new teachers, as the whim takes them. / 'imothy C-5C0 'he proud man, ever full of himself, has an opinion about everything, and his opinion, so he thinks, must prevail. @ven if his tongue is not wagging, his mind is full of the noise of wrangling. $ithout saying a word, he criticises others. >entally, he interrupts their speech, rehearses arguments against what they are saying, and challenges their discourse. $ithout speaking a word, such a man is full of noise. He is no lover of silence. Saint Benedict never intended that his monks should forego all speech. He allows for speaking and, in fact, assumes that his monks will talk. 'here is evidence of this throughout the Holy 7ule. Saint Benedict says that )>onks should love silence at all times, but especially during the hours of the night+ "hapter #**0. 2t the same time, he allows his monks, when )they rise for the $ork of od, gently to encourage one another, because of the e%cuses of the drowsy.+ "hapter **0. *n treating of reading in the refectory, Saint
Benedict says, )#et no one presume to put any 3uestions there, either about the reading or about anything else, lest it should give occasion for talking+ "hapter D***0. 'his suggests that elsewhere and at other times certain e%changes were permitted, but within certain limits. )2nd let not one brother associate with another at unseasonable hours+ "hapter #D***0. $ith regard to the Aratory of the monastery, Saint Benedict says, )$hen the $ork of od is ended, let all go out with the utmost silence, paying due reverence to od, so that a brother, who perchance wishes to pray by himself, may not be hindered by another’s misconduct+ "hapter #**0. Here, silence is the e%pression of the profound reverence that characterises the whole ethos of the 7ule. *t is the silence of humble adoration. Aur Constitutions invite us to consider the silence of the Sacred Host. *n the >ost Holy Sacrament of the 2ltar, the $ord abides in perfect stillness. 'he monk who remains silent in the great silence of the Host will, over time, enter into the prayer of the Son and, with the Son, pass into the rest of od. )#et us hasten therefore to enter into that rest+ Hebrews CEE0. 4:. 'he silence of the Sacred Host must reign, then, not only over the hearts, minds, and lips of the monks, but over the entire monastery and its land, so as to foster an atmosphere of order and of peace conducive to the prayer of the heart in a spirit of ceaseless adoration. 4F. By practicing silence at all times, the monks will avoid innumerable sins of the tongue, and foster, both within themselves and within the monastery, an atmosphere that offers optimal resonance to the $ord of od. 6G. By assiduous contemplation and adoration of the Sacred Host, the monks will come to love the observance of silence by which it is given them to imitate the sacramental state of the *ncarnate $ord, who, now in the >ost Holy Sacrament of the 2ltar, as once in His hidden life and bitter 9assion, remains silent and still.
