Solitude and Silence: Benedict on Great Silence
Teaching on Solitude and Silence from Benedict of Nursia: Benedict on Great Silence
This is a spiritual discipline on great Silence and nighttime, drawing on Psalm 4:4, Psalm 63:6 and Lamentations 3:26.
The Rule of St. Benedict designates the hours between Compline (the last prayer of the day, around 8 PM) and Lauds (morning prayer, around 6 AM) as the "Great Silence." During this time, monks refrain from all unnecessary speech. Benedict wrote: "At all times, monks should practice silence, but especially during the hours of the night." The Great Silence serves multiple purposes: it protects sleep, it creates a contemplative atmosphere, and it provides an extended daily experience of wordlessness that gradually reshapes the monk's relationship with language.…
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