DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to the Glory of God, for the life of my friend, Late Rev Fr. Everest Hyuwa, who was a very pleasant and accommodating personality; a great Priest that served everyone all the time. Requiescat in Pace!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to acknowledge the divine providence of God and to thank Him for the gift of my life, daily blessings, inspiration and His mercy upon me.
I am indebted to my Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Man’ Oso Ndangoso who encouraged, supported, and permitted me to publish this book. I am equally grateful to the Archbishop of Jos Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Kaigama for his fatherly love.
My profound gratitude goes to Rev. Fr. Dr. Francis Agba, Rev. Fr. Habila Daboh, Rev. Fr. Felix Usman OSA, and Rev. Fr. Dr. Bulus Matthias Makama, Rev. Fr. Sixtus Wulshiri, Professor David Jowitt (UNIJOS), and Mrs. Fidelia Egwu, who reviewed the manuscript at various stages and offered helpful suggestions and scholarly insights. I thank you for all your sacrifices. May the Lord bless your ministries and keep you.
I acknowledge the prayerful support of my family members. I also acknowledge the support of the Rector Very Rev. Fr. Sylvester Dagin, the Vice Rector Very Rev. Fr. Peter Kamai, Formators, Seminarians, and the academic and non-academic staff of St Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos.
My unalloyed gratitude goes to Rev. Frs. John Abutu, Amos Nyangu, Charles Beki, Joseph Gandu, Adams Ezekiel, Wambai Emmanuel, Bagayang Micah, Joseph Nuhu, Fred Byat, James Adamu, Christian Okewu, Louis Ngare, Paul Moro’a, Denis Kaye, Moses lorapu, Joseph Ajunwa, John Ogbaje, Patrick Galadima, Noel Gotar, Martin Dogo, Cyriacus Onwuharonye, Ignatius Saleh, Raphael Adebayo, Paul Adekoya, and Rev. Emmanuel Zamdayu. Thanks to Bro. Matthew Kabirat, Bro. Christopher Emelife, Samuel Dawak, Christian Nwafor, the families of Chief & Mrs Ben Omale, Sir & Lady Philip Edeh, Major & Mrs Enya, Mr & Mrs Oladimeji, Mr & Mrs Emeka Emeruem, Barr. & Mrs Tony Ihetuma, Mr & Mrs Okache, Sr. Debora Onuoha HHCJ, Miss Monica Obih, Miss Millicent Ijeoma Ibeh, Desola, Lady Mrs. Christiana Taiwo, my friends, classmates, colleagues, and the entire parishioners of the Church of Immaculate Conception, Zaramaganda, Jos and all those who in one way or the other supported me in the publication of this book. Once again, thank you!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication – iii
Acknowledgement – iv
Table of Contents – vi
Foreword – xiv
Introduction – xiv
A CALL TO SILENCE
1.0 What is Silence?
1.1 A Call to Silence
1.2 The Use of Silence –
1.2.1 The Use of Silence in Prayer
1.2.2 The Use of Silence in arguments
1.2.3 The Use of Silence in Gossip
1.2.4 The Use of Silence in Conversation
1.2.5 The Use of Silence when the house is empty
1.2.6 The Use of Silence in moments of danger and trouble
FINDING GOD IN SILENCE
2.0 Finding God in Silence
2.1 Types of Christians
2.1.1 Superficial Christians
2.1.2 Quasi-contemplative Christians
2.1.3 Pure Contemplative Christians
2.2 Encountering God in Silent Retreats
DISCOVERING THE TRUE SELF THROUGH SILENCE
3.0 Discovering the True Self through Silence
3.1 The Agony of the unexamined Life
3.2 Examination of Conscience
3.3 Healing the Tongue
3.4 Sins of the Tongue
3.5 Diseases of the Tongue
3.5.1 Excessive Talking
3.5.2 Idle or Careless words
3.5.3 Gossip
3.5.4 Lying –
3.5.5 Flattery
3.5.6 Hastiness in Speech
THE IMPORTANCE AND PERIODS OF SILENCE WITHIN THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION
4.0 The Importance and the Periods of Silence within the Eucharistic Celebration 63
4.1 Silence helps in liturgical preparation- 70
4.2 Silence helps in recollection 72
4.3 Silence helps reflection and meditation- 72
4.4 Silence enhances personal prayer 74
4.5 Silence enables God to speak to us, individually and communally 75
THE JOY OF SILENT EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
5.0 What is Eucharistic Adoration – 81
5.0.1 Could you not watch one hour with Me 83
5.0.2 The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made 85
5.0.3 Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest 85
5.0.4 Remain in Me, as I remain in you 86
5.0.5 O God, You are my God for You I long! – 87
5.0.6 This The Eucharist – the whole Christ is His gift to all 88
5.1 The value of Eucharistic Adoration – 88
5.2 How to Observe the Holy Hour (Adoration) 92
5.2.1 Sitting 95
5.2.2 The Theology of Kneeling 96
MODELS OF SILENCE
6.1 Jesus the Perfect Model of Prayer and Silence – 101
6.1.1 At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry 103
6.1.2 During His temptation in the wilderness 104
6.1.3 Solitude before making important decisions 104
6.2 The Spirit of Prayer and Meditation in Mary 106
6.2.1 The Annunciation – 108
6.2.2 The Visitation and before the Pentecost 111
6.2.3 The Shepherds’ Visit 111
6.2.4 The Presentation and the Finding in the Temple 113
6.2.5 At the Foot of the Cross
6.3 Saint Joseph, a model of active and meditative silence 114
SILENCE IN PRAYER
7.0 Silences in Prayer – 119
7.1 Mental Prayer (Silent prayer) and Vocal Prayer – 121
7.2 Mental Prayer (Silent/Contemplative prayer) 121
7.3 Vocal Prayer 125
7.4 Distractions in Prayer 126
7.5 How to Deal with Distractions in Prayer 127
7.5.1 Identifying the Subject of Prayer 128
7.5.2 Preparation before Prayer Time 129
7.5.3 Patience 130
7.5.4 Total Dependence on the will of God 131
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ON SILENCE
8.0 Inspirational Quotes on silence. 133
8.1 A Short Visit to the Blessed Sacrament 142
8.1.1 Prayer for Sanctity of Life 143
8.1.2 Prayer for the Spread of Perpetual Adoration 143
8.1.3 Prayer to Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament 144
8.1.4 Prayers of Adoration 145
8.1.5 Litany for Life 145
WORKS CITED 157
FORWORD
The world in which we live and have our being is too noisy. In this era of technological advancement and gadgets, silence has become an essential commodity.
Besides, in our churches, parishes and places of worship, people prefer shouting, singing, and praise worship at every interval to any form of silence.
Worshippers in churches especially the Neo Pentecostals, tele-evangelists lure their followers through jazz and sentimental music to a level that to observe a minute of silence is like chasing them from the church. Yet God asks us to “be still and know that I am God”.
Fr. Philemon Ayibo, has written this book because like his mentor, Socrates, who opined that “an unexamined life is not worth living”, in an attempt to emphasize and re- emphasize the “Power of Silence” in the life of an individual Christian.
This is because our life is pre-occupied and characterized by work, study, and business. We need some quiet times and moments to reflect, meditate, examine and listen to God in prayer.
And so the “Power of Silence” comes from a priest, formator and a son of the Church. Anyone who reads it will find a sure guide along a path that leads to perfect union with God.
Rev Fr. Felix Usman OSA.
Spiritual Director
St Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos.
INTRODUCTION
As the fish dies on the land, so you too die in the midst of worldly business. To live again, the fish returns to water, you too must return to solitude.
-Tony De Mello
Since the very dawn of history, men have pondered over the mystery of a human being and over the sense of solitude that dwells within man. Today for a variety of reasons silence and solitude have become an obsession for contemporary writers of fiction, philosophy, psychology, and theology. The majority of people seem to be escaping from silence. Modern man seems to experience great difficulties in living with himself. And most of his problems stem from a lack of solitude in his life.
We live in the most talkative age in the history of the world; a world that obliges men to live a feverish life and to labour intensely. Modern life with its accelerated tempo is never satisfied. It is supremely distracted by stage performances, by noisy music, shrieking of sirens, and the bellowing of horns, the telephone bells and roaring automobiles. We have lost the sweet peace of silence. We live in a “techno-noisy” world. As a society, we have become so accustomed to (and even addicted to) the blare of radios, televisions, horns, and cell phones that it is very difficult for some people to become comfortable with silence. Sometimes the only place that silence is socially acceptable is in a place of worship, when individuals come early, before a service begins, to be alone with their God and to listen quietly to the whispering of the Lord as if in a gentle breeze (cf. 1 Kings 19:12).
Most of the time, from the moment we rise in the morning, we are engulfed in external noise – the alarm clock buzzing, music blaring, the competing sounds of generators in the neighborhood and all sorts of noise around us. Imagine how many hours you speak in a day; how many hours you spend in noisy places and engage in noisy conversation or business, watching television and all kinds of amusement within the twenty-four hours of the day.
Our generation is swamped by noise. We live our lives amidst noise everywhere, and some of the most pressing and stressing sounds are the ones we live with internally. Our minds are filled with interconnecting thoughts – always one after the next. This interior noise therefore ranges from prejudice, hate, greed, jealousy, envy, depression, anger, malice, and conflicts of all sorts, which lead to both internal and external wars. The external commotion of our environment combined with the inner chatter of the mind leaves little room for us to truly experience that intimate union with God and inner peace that comes through the grace of silence.
The worst is that silence has been lost not only in the secular world but as well in the sacred places of religious worship. This lack of silence affected the spiritual climate of our time. One can recall that it was with great, meaningful, prayerful and reverential silence and solitude that our saints used to attend the Holy Mass which was always celebrated in the past with great contemplation, holy wonder, and sweetness and with solemn hymns. But this is gradually fading away with our generation. The culture of silence and recollection is on the verge of collapsing. The church has lost much of this silence and recollection! Jumping up and down, clapping of hands, and dancing at Mass and in the prayer groups within the Church has replaced the silence, recollection and meditation of the saints.
Modern man seems to have assumed that sentimental music, bands, jazz instruments such as guitar and high life music accompanied with empty, non-doctrinal and meaningless choruses can unite man with God intimately by lifting up his soul to God. In the midst of all the noise, silence is remarkably easy to find; it is everywhere around us. We should learn to unmask the noise by deliberating and consciously making an effort to create silence. In so doing, we can help remove tension and anxiety from our environment, recharge our internal batteries, and create peace with ourselves and our surroundings.
Silence is not to be shunned as empty space but to be seen as a fertile ground for intimacy with God. Spiritual masters, both Eastern and Western of different religions, point out that silence is a condition for being and remaining present to the Transcendent. Experience also confirms that silence fosters relaxation and may increase creativity and efficiency and touches every sphere of human existence. It brings to our bodies the grace of relaxation and to our minds the benefit of increased attention. It makes possible thoughtful speech and leads to more reflective action. Silence may seem just connected to the physical, but more than that, it also has psychological, spiritual and healing effects. Apart from the psychological and spiritual effects, silence is a very powerful tool even in the political, social, analytical and intellectual spheres as well as being a strong quality in medical, counseling, leadership, relationship and even diplomatic concerns. In fact one would not be wrong to say that silence cuts across all spheres of life in its importance; it is indeed, a virtue.
A common problem, related to why we may seek to escape from silence, is the discovery that it evokes nameless misgivings, guilt feelings, and strange,
disquieting anxiety. But in reality, it is noise that fragments and scatters our lives into pieces while in silence the scattered pieces of our lives fall into place and we are able to see again who we are, where we are coming from and where we are going to. Silence becomes a sanctuary in which faith, hope and love are restored.
Everyone needs silence: the priest, the seminarian, the teacher, the nurse, the social worker, the artist, the poet, the doctor; the lawyer, the wife, the cabdriver. To neglect this need is to risk living a tensed, fragmented, spiritless life.
This book is an attempt to press home the urgent need for silence in life, which leads to self knowledge, knowledge of others and of God. May the peace of silence subdue all the voices of commotion in our hearts.
Philemon Ayibo. April 25, 2016.
Feast of St Mark, Evangelist.
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