reflection on silence

It is weekend, and praise God that it is weekend :). In this time, to stay in silence and in rest and to stay with the Master of all, would be great. It is one of the beauty that we need during our days: silence, to stay still and wait for the Lord. "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes, in a busy world, many are caught in the trap of hurried-ness and many cares, and our minds becomes overwhelmed. Either caused by our works, or even by getting too much information from the net, they may be very harmful to us if we forget when to pull ourselves out and when to stop. In that particular occasion, it'll be very easy for us to be tempted into anger, impatience and inability to have self-control. In each day, how necessary it is for us to devote a time of silence and have the remembrance of Our Beloved God.

Personally, it is very beneficial for me to have that specific time and place to lay aside the exceeding cares, stay silent and pray. However, I realize that the more important is to have the silence of the heart. The external silence is very important and helpful, yet it is not the end in itself, it must be followed by the silence of the heart. As our holy father Abba Poemen used to tell us, ”A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is, he says nothing that is not profitable.”

Thus, it is good in every time to pause ourself and to refrain from grumbling, judging and losing our temper. And in any occasion it is wonderful to whisper the Holy Name of the Lord, to trust in Him who guides us and even grants us the silence and pure mind... and not be frustrated with trying what we think is pleasing to Him and being upset. Rather, it is to acknowledge our (my) insufficiency even to have silence, and thus to let Him work within us, cleansing us and transforming us from inside out. What can we do outside of God's blessing? Even to say a single prayer, to live out our faith and especially to overcome temptation, the first and ultimate thing we need is... God's mercy! As St. Benedict of Nursia says, "We must therefore beg the Lord with many sighs, striking our hearts as well as our breasts, never to leave us His servants without His help…by the protection of His assistance, to surround us with the wall of His grace and by His defense ward off the incursion … " (Orthodox Life Tips)

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!