The Great Silence

As I mentioned earlier, one aspect of monastery life is we all observe The Great Silence, from the end of Compline (around 8:50 PM) until 8:30 AM the next day - that includes breakfast.  The monastery guest house goes into a bit of a hibernation... people are quiet, we smile or nod at each othe as we pass in the hallways.  You can see people curled up on couches in little nooks and crannies reading.  This is when I write my last blog entries and then grab a bit of time to read myself.

Like many of their traditions, It's unusual to experience at first.  In our normal lives we seldomly get true silence... at my home I used to have a marine aquarium and until I recently got rid of that, there was always the sound of pumps, fans and motors keeping the fish alive.  Here at the monastery, crickets are noticable, and to me the sound of my typing on my laptop is loud.  Across the river, the train engine and whistle are very noticable. 

The silence provides space... space to think and read of course, but also space to commune with God and ponder the day's events. 

Make some space... try some silence.