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X-WR-CALDESC:Let us follow the prophet's counsel:'I said\, I have resolv
ed to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I was s
ilent and was humbled\, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 39:2-3).'
Here the prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be
left unsaid out of esteem for silence. For all the more reason\, then\, s
hould evil speech be curbed so that punishment for sin may be avoided. Ind
eed\, so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be gr
anted even to mature disciples\, no matter how good or holy or constructiv
e their talk\, because it is written: 'In a flood of words you will not av
oid sin (Prv 10:19)\;' and elsewhere\, 'The tongue holds the key to life a
nd death (Prv 18:21).' Speaking and teaching are the teacher's task\; the
disciple is to be silent and listen.\n\nTherefore\, any requests to an abb
ot or prioress should be made with all humility and respectful submission.
We absolutely condemn in all places any vulgarity and gossip and talk lea
ding to laughter\, and we do not permit a disciple to engage in words of t
hat kind.\n\nSilence is a cornerstone of Benedictine life and spiritua
l development but the goal of monastic silence is not non-talking. The goa
l of monastic silence\, and monastic speech\, is respect for others\, a se
nse of place\, a spirit of peace. The Rule does not call for absolute sile
nce\; it calls for thoughtful talk. This chapter provides the principles u
pon which this 'guard upon the tongue' is based. Silence for its own selfi
sh\, insulating sake\; silence that is passive-aggressive\; silence that i
s insensitive to the present needs of the other is not Benedictine silence
.\n\nBenedictine spirituality forms us to listen always for the voice of G
od. When my own noise is what drowns that word out\, the spiritual life be
comes a sham. Benedictine spirituality forms us to know our place in the w
orld. When we refuse to give place to others\, when we consume all the spa
ce of our worlds with our own sounds and our own truths and our own wisdom
and our own ideas\, there is no room for anyone else's ideas. When a pers
on debates contentiously with anyone\, let alone with the teachers and the
guides of their life\, the ego becomes a majority of one and there is no
one left from whom to learn. But Benedictine spirituality is a builder of
human community. When talk is unrestrained\, when gossip becomes the food
of the soul\, then the destruction of others can't be far behind. When tal
k is loud and boisterous\, when we make light of everything\, when nothing
is spared the raillery of a joke\, the seriousness of all of life is at s
take and our spirits wither from a lack of beauty and substance.\n\nMake n
o doubt about it\, the ability to listen to another\, to sit silently in t
he presence of God\, to give sober heed and to ponder is the nucleus of Be
nedictine spirituality. It may\, in fact\, be what is most missing in a ce
ntury saturated with information but short on gospel reflection. The Word
we seek is speaking in the silence within us. Blocking it out with the sta
tic of nonsense day in and day out\, relinquishing the spirit of silence\,
numbs the Benedictine heart in a noise-polluted world.\n\nThe ancients wr
ote:\nOnce upon a time a disciple asked the elder\, 'How shall I experienc
e my oneness with creation?'\nAnd the elder answered\, 'By listening.'\nTh
e disciple pressed the point: 'But how am I to listen?'\nAnd the elder tau
ght\, 'Become an ear that pays attention to every single thing the univers
e is saying. The moment you hear something you yourself are saying\, stop.
'
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DTSTAMP:20260415T073910Z
DESCRIPTION:Let us follow the prophet's counsel:'I said\, I have resolve
d to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I was si
lent and was humbled\, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 39:2-3).'
Here the prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be
left unsaid out of esteem for silence. For all the more reason\, then\, sh
ould evil speech be curbed so that punishment for sin may be avoided. Inde
ed\, so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be gra
nted even to mature disciples\, no matter how good or holy or constructive
their talk\, because it is written: 'In a flood of words you will not avo
id sin (Prv 10:19)\;' and elsewhere\, 'The tongue holds the key to life an
d death (Prv 18:21).' Speaking and teaching are the teacher's task\; the d
isciple is to be silent and listen.\n\nTherefore\, any requests to an abbo
t or prioress should be made with all humility and respectful submission.
We absolutely condemn in all places any vulgarity and gossip and talk lead
ing to laughter\, and we do not permit a disciple to engage in words of th
at kind.\n\nSilence is a cornerstone of Benedictine life and spiritual
development but the goal of monastic silence is not non-talking. The goal
of monastic silence\, and monastic speech\, is respect for others\, a sen
se of place\, a spirit of peace. The Rule does not call for absolute silen
ce\; it calls for thoughtful talk. This chapter provides the principles up
on which this 'guard upon the tongue' is based. Silence for its own selfis
h\, insulating sake\; silence that is passive-aggressive\; silence that is
insensitive to the present needs of the other is not Benedictine silence.
\n\nBenedictine spirituality forms us to listen always for the voice of Go
d. When my own noise is what drowns that word out\, the spiritual life bec
omes a sham. Benedictine spirituality forms us to know our place in the wo
rld. When we refuse to give place to others\, when we consume all the spac
e of our worlds with our own sounds and our own truths and our own wisdom
and our own ideas\, there is no room for anyone else's ideas. When a perso
n debates contentiously with anyone\, let alone with the teachers and the
guides of their life\, the ego becomes a majority of one and there is no o
ne left from whom to learn. But Benedictine spirituality is a builder of h
uman community. When talk is unrestrained\, when gossip becomes the food o
f the soul\, then the destruction of others can't be far behind. When talk
is loud and boisterous\, when we make light of everything\, when nothing
is spared the raillery of a joke\, the seriousness of all of life is at st
ake and our spirits wither from a lack of beauty and substance.\n\nMake no
doubt about it\, the ability to listen to another\, to sit silently in th
e presence of God\, to give sober heed and to ponder is the nucleus of Ben
edictine spirituality. It may\, in fact\, be what is most missing in a cen
tury saturated with information but short on gospel reflection. The Word w
e seek is speaking in the silence within us. Blocking it out with the stat
ic of nonsense day in and day out\, relinquishing the spirit of silence\,
numbs the Benedictine heart in a noise-polluted world.\n\nThe ancients wro
te:\nOnce upon a time a disciple asked the elder\, 'How shall I experience
my oneness with creation?'\nAnd the elder answered\, 'By listening.'\nThe
disciple pressed the point: 'But how am I to listen?'\nAnd the elder taug
ht\, 'Become an ear that pays attention to every single thing the universe
is saying. The moment you hear something you yourself are saying\, stop.'
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260124T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260124T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 6
SUMMARY:Restraint of Speech
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