Silentium Sacrum

The last, third day of the seminar here in Bura in Taita Hills in Kenya. And immediately after the seminar, we will start a week-long retreat for the same participants, right here, in the same venue. But what a difference it will make to move from the seminar setup to retreat seclusion. Same room, same conference hall, same chapel, same dining hall. But...the absolute silence will make for a totally new, intense experience for us all.


The last time I led this retreat here in Bura in April, the sisters were absolutely magnificent in complying to my request to observe total silence throughout the whole retreat - apart from my spiritual conferences and community prayers, liturgical services and Holy Mass. The silence prevailing in the retreat was deafening, like a thunders of a storm in mountain ranges... That is why they kept everything in their hearts and reaped a perfect harvest for themselves and their communities...I, myself, cannot explain enough how that silence benefited me in my own spirituality and work...

"For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone,
Your all-powerful leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed,…. And touched heaven while standing on earth" (Wisdom 18, 14. 15c)

The Orthodox Icon of Holy Silence (Hesychia)

Not everyone is capable to withstand the total silence for the whole week. I am so grateful to Metropolitan Major Seminary in Kraków for insisting on total silence during retreats, recollection days, study hours and in night time - from 10.00pm to breakfast time every day... It helped me a lot to appreciate silence, to love silence, to observe silence and to yearn for periods of silence in my life. It helped me a lot to bear the silence of solitary life in Africa, being alone for most of my years in the mission, but not feeling lonely... It helped me to treasure night time in Africa, when sun sets down in the evening and darkness embraces everything for full twelve hours every day...

I'm looking forward to silentium sacrum starting this evening with the hymn to the Holy Spirit and a Holy Hour adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Then six days of silence, silentium sacrum...The time in which our consciences will shout in full voice... the time the voice of the Living God will resound with mighty echo in our souls...the time we will understand better what our life, vocation and destiny is all about...

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening..." (1 Sam 3:9)