Tonight, we read Step number 11 on “talkativeness and silence.” Fittingly, it is very brief, if not the briefest of all of the steps of The Ladder. This brevity is St. John’s way of teaching us that so much of our speech involves vainglory; putting ourselves on display. We seek through it to step out of ourselves; betraying the painful experience we have as human beings of our lack of identity. God has created us for himself. He has created us in his image and likeness precisely that we might not experience ourselves in isolation, but rather in communion. However, to enter into communion with God means to step out of our limited ways of perceiving the world around us and reality as a whole. This means allowing God, through the silence,
to draw us in faith into the experience of His life, light and love. To give ourselves over to talkativeness is to find ourselves dissipated. Our desire for God cools and the emptiness that we feel drives us to fill our lives with anything and everything so that we do not feel alone. Despite having God dwelling within us, once we lose sight of him, silence becomes an enemy. Therefore, John tells us that we must foster silence as a habit. We must allow God to show us its value, and what it makes possible for us. The first step is to create external silence. Once we have done this, we often see the unsettledness of our minds and hearts.
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Text of chat during the group:
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-one Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty Part III and Letter Forty-one Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty Part II
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-six Part II and Homily Seventy-seven
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-nine Part II and Letter Forty Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-eight Part II and Letter Thirty-nine Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-six Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-seven Part II and Letter Thirty-eight Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-five Part IV
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-seven Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-five Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-five Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-five Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-four Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-four Part IV and Homily Seventy-five Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-three Part II
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-four Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-two Part II and Letter Thirty-three Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-four Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-one Part II and Letter Thirty-two Part I
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