Chapter 21 of the Carmelite Rule of St Albert on SILENCE is an essential part of Carmelite charism. It establishes that members of our Order should embrace and live out daily the life of solitude, recollection, quiet reflection and prayer. This training leads to deeper relationship with God by stillness, purification of our hearts and minds and openness to listen and hear His voice. “Speak lord, your servant is listening”.
We live in an overcrowded and noisy world. The growing world’s population makes space more congested. Our overcrowded cities never sleep and generate a lot of noise. Even the countryside once seen as an oasis of silence, quiet, and peace is affected by noise and light pollution.
The Carmelite family of friars, nuns and laity share life and space with the rest of humanity. Our distant, contemplative hermit forefathers experienced similar problems. Forced by political circumstances of their times, they reluctantly abandoned the solitude of Mount Carmel returning to life in countries of Europe. The medieval Whitefriars settled among people in villages, towns and cities. There they witnessed with faith and served with love and care for the needs of people.
Migration did not make them forget their spiritual roots of silence. Their prayer life rooted in silence and contemplation, remained their hallmark and became the way of recharging their spiritual batteries for pastoral ministry. Staying open to God’s voice in silent prayer and contemplation is a living tradition that continues in Carmelite locations today. We share spiritual fruits of prayer, reflection, and meditation with those we serve. “Contemplata aliis trader” or “To hand down to others the fruits of contemplation”.
We are the Church together with the people we serve. Our life, work, mission, service, take us into the heart of noisy, secular, godless, world of today. We are in it. We are with people in need. In my long ministry to prisoners, I have seen and met many who need our presence, witness, prayer, and time. Prisons are not quiet places; they are overcrowded and noisy establishments. Locked in prison are people of different races, colour and religions and ages. They are people with a criminal past, often let down by parents, family and society. They carry many psychological, mental and physical burdens. Prison unsettles even healthy individuals. Prisons are full of noise, made day and night by unhappy individuals, trying to draw attention to their needs, to unhappy loneliness, frustration and fear. They fill the emptiness of their lives, hearts and minds with noise to forget. They think that external noise will absolve them from reflection and change they need. Most prisoners do not lose the sense of God and religion. Religion helps them to regain their humanity, to give them hope, to point them to God in whom they find new life and future. Over the years the Carmelite presence in the prison ministry made contributions to restoration, and rehabilitation of offenders. Calming down anger, rage and violence, often expressed by noisy behaviour, is our way to help them regain their balance and sanity. Religious activities enable the prisoners to find God behind bars, His love, care and forgiveness. Introduction to silence, prayer and regular Bible reading leads to appreciation of silence, spiritual calm, rest and peace. Even noisy environments abound in places and times of healing silence. If we allow it, God comes to us in prison with His guidance, inspiration and calming reassurance. His grace and forgiveness transforms our lives. We feel closer to Him, our families and people around us finding new peace and inner freedom.
Our Rule of silence is valuable and relevant not only to us Carmelites but also to the noisy world and its population.
–SILENCE IN PRAYER– God does not need nor heed too many words in our prayers. He knows our needs before we open our mouths. We aim at reaching the point when silence is not empty, embarrassing or uneasy. but a time of rest, calm, openness and listening. We allow God to do the talking, to enlighten our hearts and minds with His wisdom and love. Let us make space for silence in our prayer life to taste the contemplation of God’s greatness and bliss.
–SILENCE IN COMMUNITY– Life with others, be it community, family, prison or parish is based on communication. We talk to share our feelings; thoughts and hundred others concerns and opinions. We are advised not to overdo it. Silence invites clear and concise communication. It encourages each and every person to have a fair contribution in debates. To listen and respect and value others’ views and opinions. It warns us not to waste time, push our points, force it on the silent majority. Society of Quakers got it right. They know how to be silent, allowing God to have the first and the last Word.
–SILENCE IN WORK– It is valuable in our work. Talk and noise often prevent us from concentrating on tasks in hand. Mistakes are made and time is wasted when distraction hinders our focusing. Our work for the living, our ministry to others requires attention. Our work is a form of prayer and our actions speak louder than words.
Greetings to all who take time to read the above and turn it into prayer.
Fr Edward Okon, O.Carm. – Prison Chaplain
