Waiting for Silence

Silence is on my mind right now. We are approaching the holiest time of the year, the Triduum. This is the period stretching from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. It's three days but it's also one day, symbolizing the Paschal Mystery, an arch that begins with death and ends with life.




At the monastery, apart from services, we keep silence for most of the Triduum. The silence begins this evening, Holy Thursday, after the Mass of the Lord's supper; it continues until after Mass on Easter Sunday, which we celebrate at dawn on Easter morning.


The silence is a time for inner reflection, a time to spend with God and the mysery and wonder of  Christ's passion, death and resurrection. I'm waiting for it in a state of nervous anticipation. I love this communal silence but I also find it quite daunting. This isn't because I don't like keeping silence. I do, but there is something a bit scary about standing on the edge of silence and waiting to dive in. It's like jumping off a cliff into a deep, dark pool. I don't know how deep the water is; I don't know what I'm going to find in the darkness of the silence. I know God will be there, but what does that mean? What will I hear in this silence where there's just me and God? WilI want to hear what I hear? Will I be called call to something difficult or challenging?




At this time (10 a.m. on Holy Thursday) , I simply pray that I'll be ready for whatever awaits me in the silence.


Karen Rose, OSB                                                                     April 18, 2019