SILENCE!! - #1/5 Spiritual Weapons - MIM Retreat 2019 - Fr. Joachim

[Music] for this point though my first thoughts actually important Cyril [Music] but even different times throughout our daily lives really granted you know most people think of silence is being a virtue just for religious to practice but indeed you know religious will be held more accountable for their practice of silence or lack thereof but silence is a great means of acquiring a spirit of Prayer and disposing the soul to converse continue with God gods are not going to be talking to us if we're listening to rock music our heard that TV or the computer seems like you can't go anywhere without them playing music and you know I can the stores years ago it was like elevator music almost at least today it's just noise pollution so we should all desire to to want to dispose our so to converse continually with God and that's why we need silence we rarely find a spiritual soul that speaks continuously you know all souls of Prayer are lovers of silence I think you need to bolt this thing down at least for me [Laughter] you know that's why it's called the The Guardian of innocence the the shield against temptations the fountain of prayer because by silence devotion is preserved and I'm sure you've experienced this in some parish churches you go there you get there early for mass to recollect yourself to place yourself in the presence of God and it sounds like a school cafeteria you it's just very distracting I I was talking to someone the other day and it says whenever they go to the they go to the cry room they're always in the cry room when they're at church because it's the quietest place in the church they don't have any children but they're always in the crash [Laughter] or you know after mash tried to give a Thanksgiving and it's just you can't do it so by silence devotions preserved you know it's good thoughts spring up st. Bernard says silence and the absence of noise in a certain manner force the soul to think of God and eternal goods and it's sad I I met a former in Miami member she avoided retreats like the plague because they were silent and it forced herself to look at herself and she didn't want to do that it's not pretty you know we don't want to examine our conscience people don't want to go to confession who wants to remember our bad choices but you know I'm the Saints they would they would feet of the mountains to caves to deserts just to get away from the noise to find silence and some of them observe silence for you know thirty forty years or more when Saint Saint John the silent he was surname gave up his bishop reek to become a monk and observe silence for forty seven years before his death and all the saints you know even those who were not Hermits were lovers of silence no I'm just they've realized how great the blessings that that silence brings to the soul the prophet Isaiah says that silence shall cultivate justice in the soul for on the one hand it saves us from many sins by destroying the roots of arguments there's there's never an argument were there silence there's never detraction or a resentment so curious 'ti that you know these lead to gossip and you know on the other hand as the silence it makes us acquire many virtues just those virtues of not committing those sins you know if we practice humility when we let others do all the talking that's that's a way to grow in that to humility that virtue and it's a great mortification not to or by not yielding to an inclination or desire you know to just tell a certain antidote or or some use some witty expression suggested by the conversation we practice heroic meekness by remaining silent when we are unjustly criticized or or offended but on the other hand you know immense evils flow from speaking too much in the first place as devotion is preserved by silence so it is lost by too much talking now however recollected the soul may be or or may have been in prayer if it if afterwards indulges and long conversations it will find the mind distracted and dissipated as if it not prayed at all if afterwards it indulges in that conversation but the Holy Spirit tells us in the book of Proverbs that in speaking too much we shall not fail to commit some thought while while they speak in prolong conversation without necessity certain people think that they're not guilty of any defect but now if they carefully examine themselves they'll find some thought you know against modesty detraction curiosity or at least just support Flo's words Saint Mary Magdalene deposit used to say that a religious should speak only through necessity but actually everyone really should consider this advice Jesus himself told us in the Gospel of Matthew but I say to you that every idle word that men speak they shall account for it in the day of judgment st. James talks about the tongue in his epistle says it's a world of iniquity for as I learned it also remarks you know the greater number of sins arise from from speaking or listening to others you know I have to admit that a lot of of what we'll be saying is from this point forward is really intended for religious but you could very well its benefit for since you are secular religious living in the world you know so you can apply it and put it into practice in your own life see our funds is the Liguori wrote you know how many nuns shall we see condemned on the day of judgment on account of having had little regard for silence and what isn't most to be deplored is that the religious that disputes in our mind by excessive contact with creatures and by speaking too much will never be able to avoid you know defects so it goes back to just what we were saying earlier about avoiding all the unnecessary talk about others in gossiping and st. ignatius loyola said if you want to know if there is fervor in a convent all you have to do is see if silence is observed or not even our Lord speaks of about silence to st. Faustina in her diary and how important it is you know since we're getting a late start out I may have to omit some of this since a lot of it is for religious but it's it's also interesting do you feel like I had a lot of holy founders of religious orders that have prescribed in their their constitutions about the necessity of silence to their religious because they then just knew how important its observers its observance is for a fervor and and that spirit of devotion st. basil insist on it in his rule for nuns not once but you know frequently and st. Benedict commanded his monks to observe continual silence you know just just necessary speaking not unnecessary speaking and we could all be a lot more productive if we didn't talk so much you know that's or at labora that's that's what his rule was so experience shows that monastery where silence is observed discipline is maintained and where silence is neglected little fervor is found so no few religious become Saints because if you love silence and in many monasteries the the rule of silence is prescribed by written rules and it's strongly recommended but some of the religious do not seem to know what silence is this was the case in the same Margaret Costello at one time in her life she joined an order of nuns and they weren't observing silence and she wanted to observe the rule as best she could and all the nun said oh she's she's not being you know they interpreted her as not being very friendly and and avoiding conversation and it's just not one of the gang and so the Mother Superior said well you know if you don't conform you'll have to leave so she had to leave just because they weren't observing there she wanted to live the rule and they didn't so it's just mediocrity you know a lot of people are happy with their their mediocre spirituality they don't they don't want to put forth too much effort it's too uncomfortable we're you know getting back to the homily about that mortification and death to self that can get old you know and once you start it's like you get these thoughts so well maybe I could give this up because you're you know you're making this sacrifice and that sacrifice and then it just seems to never stop it's like the temptations just to say enough but we can't we can never give in because we know God loves a generous giver so that's why sometimes you're tempted to think well and is that something I'm coming up with or is that from God well st. Paul says any good that we do is from God the only thing that's from us is our sins so and silence is one of those little mortifications that is very neglected these days so just during these precious few days that you have of retreat to observe silence endeavor to practice it as much as possible if you wish to keep yourself recollected with God people say oh it wouldn't be nice if God told you know what to do well how can he get a word in edgewise if there's constant noise that God speaks to us in silence so if you wish to keep yourself recollected and free from distractions observe silence and if you cannot do it for your own [Music] benefit for the love of God the supernatural charity at least try for the sake of your fellow retreatants and it's gonna be the hardest for me because it's been years since I've seen you and I'd love to sit down at a meal and carry on a conversation but we'll let Bishop Sheen do the talking during the mils so it's a sacrifice so I have to practice what I preach as hard as it may be although I'm technically I'm not on retreat but for your sake I'll I'll try not to disturb your silence so [Music] st. John Kriss some would say you know why should we speak when it is more useful you know to be silent I mean it's the only time we should speak as if it's going to be more more useful they say silence is golden you know except when it's yellow sometimes we remain silent when we shouldn't remain silent if the truth is being attacked we have to speak because if the truth is being attacked Christ is being attacked Jesus who is the way the truth and the life you know the truth just isn't some thing someone so so there are times that we do have to speak so st. John Chrysostom would say either remain silent or say what is more profitable than silence [Music] so there can be rapid progress and divine love through the practice of silence before speaking we should consider whether what we intend to say good injure charity or modesty or or someone's character and you know even if it's true it doesn't need to be said that's called detraction you know just you don't have to broadcast people's sins say false it's the only the good things people need to hear things that are gonna help them like I said earlier you know we need to be that light a source of hope and encouragement to others not building up the kingdom not tearing people down you know our sins tear at the fabric of the mystical body of Christ because I'm not hurting anyone yes there are people dying in wars on the other side of the planet because of our detraction our sins sorry they fed Emma said war is a punishment for sin so and we're all sinners so we do hurt others now examine the the motive that impels your speech for you know it sometimes happens that what a person's says is good but their intentions may be bad they speak either to appear spiritual or you know to acquire a reputation you know for talent and impress others they examine to whom we speak whether is it someone in authority or you know either ecclesiastical or civil or an employee or employer to companions or you know to inferiors also whether it's it's if it's in the presence of others who may be scandalized you know by what we say but I I think if if someone's gonna be scandalized but we say we shouldn't say it sometimes you have to you're talking to talk about important matters or if there's something that needs to be corrected and that's going on well you know just you don't need to let others hear that conversation we just must never forget you know the importance of our good example and that's why we have to be those lights shining in the darkness recreation is needed it's always a proper time for relaxation but you know we can endeavor as often as possible to speak of something that has a reference to God you know let us speak of the Lord Jesus st. Ambrose says he wears an ardent love for another is always speaking about them they they speak little of Jesus show that they have but little love for Jesus from their other hand you know if it happens that good people after speaking on divine love feel more fervor than then after mental prayer they have to examine their devotion and just because no our prayer or devotions they're all means to an end they're not an end in themselves at the at the conversation of the servants of God says st. Teresa of Jesus Jesus is always present and concerning this father his soulful of the the congregation of pious workers relates a memorable example in in the life of the venerable father Anthony the kalilas he says that for the constant time Rossi the master of novices saw one day two of his young disciples conversing together and with them a resplendent young man and the master of novices was surprised that these these two novices whom we regarded as most exemplary should speak to a stranger you know without permission he therefore asked you know who was the young man whom he had seen conversing with them and I said there wasn't he there wasn't anyone else by conversing with them and afterwards he he learned that they were speaking of Jesus Christ and he understood that the person whom he saw in their company was their Savior so except for in the hours of recreation and other extraordinary occasions you know such as attending the sick or and consoling someone and tribulation it's always better to be silent I mean you'reyou're not monks and you're haven't taken a vow of silence or anything but we'd be amazed how many unnecessary things we say throughout the day religious in the order of st. Teresa said that it's it's better to speak with God than to speak of God but when obedience or a charity obliges you to speak or to have contact with others you must always endeavour to find some quiet time so suppose let us remember that the time given us is not to be spent unprofitably with with loose useless chatter it's to be employed for God and it's to be used for acquiring merits for eternity and we'll be talking about that in our next conference so as hard as it may be we'll try to do our best to have a silent retreat and have that time to reflect you know to come up with a battle plan because we are all at war whether we want to be or not you notice the theme of the retreat spiritual weapons for spiritual warfare and silence is one of those weapons you know so let us ask our lady to help us be silent so that we can reflect on our battle plan for reentering the battleground in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit Our Lady Mother of the Redeemer in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit you [Music]

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Keywords: silence, spiritual weapons, MIM Retreat 2019, Fr. Joachim, Spiritual Life, Bloomington, Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix, MIM, Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center, Conferences, Franciscans of the Immaculate, Religion, spiritual warfare

Id: hdi86QP4sDE

Length: 33min 11sec (1991 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 05 2020