On Solitude and Silence

Above all one must adorn oneself with silence; for Ambrose of Milan says: “By silence I have seen many saved; by much talking, not one.” And again, one of the fathers says that silence is the mystery of the age to come, whereas words are the instrument of this world (Philokalia, Part 2: Patriarch Callistus and his companion Ignatius Xanthopoulou).

Simply sit in your cell in attentiveness and silence, and strive by every means to draw yourself near to the Lord—and the Lord is ready to make you from a human being into an angel: “For upon whom,” he says, “will I look, if not upon the meek and the silent, and upon the one who trembles at my words” (Isa. 66:2).

When we abide in silence, the enemy—the devil—can accomplish nothing with regard to the hidden person of the heart; but this must be understood as silence in wisdom.

The one who undertakes such a spiritual effort must place all his hope in the Lord God, according to the teaching of the Apostle: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).

Such a person must be steadfast in this spiritual effort, following in this the example of St. John the Silent—the hesychast and hermit—who in walking this path was strengthened by these divine words: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

If it is not always possible to remain in solitude and silence while living in a monastery and carrying out the obediences assigned by the abbot, then at least whatever time remains after obedience should be devoted to solitude and silence—and for this small thing the Lord God will send down his gracious mercy.

From solitude and silence are born compunction of heart and meekness; the working of this latter in the human heart can be compared to the quiet waters of Siloam, which flow without noise or sound, as the prophet Isaiah speaks of them: “The waters of Shiloah that flow gently” (Isa. 8:6).

Remaining in one’s cell in silence, in the practice of prayer and in meditating day and night on the law of God, makes a person devout; for, in the words of the holy fathers, the cell of a monk is the furnace of Babylon, in which the three youths found the Son of God (Philokalia, Part 3: Hieromartyr Peter of Damascus).