{"id":553,"date":"2021-01-29T11:25:54","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T16:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/?page_id=553"},"modified":"2021-02-03T13:57:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T18:57:50","slug":"silence-and-solitude","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/silence-and-solitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Silence &#038; Solitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"553\" class=\"elementor elementor-553\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c1d937b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c1d937b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-abd4554\" data-id=\"abd4554\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-833439e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"833439e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.18.0 - 08-12-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p3\">The Desert Fathers did not think of silence as not speaking, but as listening to God.<\/h3><p class=\"p3\">It is here, in the silence that God speaks loudest. The central idea is that speaking gets us involved in the affairs of the world, and it is very hard to be involved without becoming entangled in and polluted by the world.<\/p><p class=\"p3\"><strong>SILENCE IS<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"p3\">Closing off our souls from \u201csounds\u201d, whether noise, music, or words, so that we may better still the inner chatter and clatter of our noisy hearts and be increasingly attentive to God.<\/p><p class=\"p3\"><em>(see Ps. 62:1,5, Isa. 30:15, Lam. 3:26, James 1:19)<\/em><\/p><p class=\"p3\">The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Jesus Himself entered the furnace where he was tempted with the three compulsions of the world: to be relevant (\u201c<i>turn stones into loaves<\/i>\u201d), to be spectacular (\u201c<i>throw yourself down<\/i>\u201d), and to be powerful (\u201c<i>I will give you all these kingdoms<\/i>\u201d). There He affirmed God as the only source of his identity (\u201c<i>You must worship the LORD your God and serve him alone<\/i>\u201d).<\/p><p class=\"p3\">Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter \u2013 the struggle against the compulsions of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self. It provides a means to free us from the tangle of social media, livestreams and Zoom meetings.<\/p><p class=\"p3\"><strong>SOLITUDE IS<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"p3\">The creation of an open, empty space in our lives by purposefully abstaining from interactions with other human beings, so that, freed from competing loyalties, we can be found by God. (see Psalms 62:5, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, 6:12, 9:18)<\/p><p class=\"p3\">In silence and solitude we create space for God to speak to our soul.<\/p><p class=\"p3\">\u201c<i>When we sit prayerfully in silence and solitude, we are entering the desert, our desert. In this sacred space, the goal is not to hide from others, devoid of pain, or to hold ourselves apart from and above the community in which we live. It is to receive the grace to learn to face ourselves directly so we can learn to live ordinariness, to live ethically and generously with others<\/i>.\u201d (Robert J. Wicks)<\/p><p class=\"p3\">\u201c<i>The highest form of prayer is to stand silently in awe before God.\u201d <\/i>(St Isaac the Syrian)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-fa431f2\" data-id=\"fa431f2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0ff6c44 elementor-widget elementor-widget-template\" data-id=\"0ff6c44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"template.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-template\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"530\" class=\"elementor elementor-530\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-cab4b2f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cab4b2f\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a960e92\" data-id=\"a960e92\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-5c908d9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5c908d9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-cbe7b15\" data-id=\"cbe7b15\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e77ff0e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e77ff0e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.18.0 - 08-12-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">RHYTHMS<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66bd769 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"66bd769\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/body-care\/\">Body Care<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42a36d8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"42a36d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/eucharist\/\">Eucharist <\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f3c96da elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f3c96da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/fasting\/\">Fasting<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9d4129 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f9d4129\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/liturgy\/\">Liturgy<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aeee154 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"aeee154\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/the-practice-of-sabbath\/\">The Practice of Sabbath<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59460c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"59460c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/silence-and-solitude\/\">Silence & Solitude<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82c8eb1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"82c8eb1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/valley-blessing\/\">Valley Blessing<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1f3f3c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b1f3f3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/walking\/\">Walking<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d1cd1a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3d1cd1a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/rhythms\/work\/\">Work<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Desert Fathers did not think of silence as not speaking, but as listening to God. It is here, in the silence that God speaks loudest. The central idea is that speaking gets us involved in the affairs of the world, and it is very hard to be involved without becoming entangled in and polluted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":614,"parent":147,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/553"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/553\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/147"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacefulpause.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}