If you can’t find God while washing the dishes, you won’t find him anywhere else. Such has been my proverbial two cents, my piece of spiritual guidance to friends and acquaintances on several occasions — and whatever wisdom it may contain, I credit to St. Benedict. It was he who taught me that God reveals himself to us in the ordinary, communes with us in the monotony of the mundane. Under his tutelage I began discovering the sacredness of the quotidian. But this baptismal vision does not come naturally — to me or to anyone. Our eyes must be healed if we wish to see thus.
But how? The healing of our vision is a grace granted to the faithful by the Holy Spirit, no doubt. And yet, like any divine grace its reception requires cooperation. In order to receive, we must ask. And in order to attain that which is offered, we must act. How then do we ask; how do we act? St. Benedict makes the answer clear: Ask and act humbly.
His answer is not novel. After all, do the Scriptures not offer this same exhortation, and that with even greater clarity? St. Paul tells us to attain the grace of divine wisdom by the humility of our present life, by presenting ourselves as living sacrifices before God, holy and acceptable to him.1 And that we might know that the Apostle here speaks to us specifically of humility, Scripture elsewhere makes clear that which is acceptable sacrifice and true spiritual worship, saying by the mouth of the Psalmist, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou shalt not despise.2 Let us be humble, then, that we may see.
However, let us be mindful that humility is not passive, nor is it easy. Be clothed with humility, says St. Peter, and humble yourselves before the mighty hand of God. To be certain that we understand this humility is active he immediately continues, saying, Be sober, be vigilant. Resist the devil, firm in the faith.3 Humility requires us to strive against the flesh, the world, and the devil (all of which are wrought with pride, the beginning of sin).4 We must stand against the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers of darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places and be ever-vigilant against the schemes of the devil.5
A daunting task, this holy resistance — if the Lord were not on our side.6 For, we do not (indeed, cannot) stand in our own strength; we must be strong in humility, strong in the Lord and in the power of his might,7 for victory rests with the Lord8 who hath not given us over as prey to the teeth of our enemies.9 He has come to our aid, and armed us for the day of battle with the sword of the Spirit10 — which according to St. Benedict is the holy work of obedience, the work of hearing and doing the Word.11
The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and [are] armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord.12
Let us be humble, then, and obey, that we may triumph in the day of battle and attain our reward of holy sight.
But let us be mindful that we cannot obey the Word if we have not heard it; and how shall we hear the Word unless we are silent? Perceiving this, St. Benedict teaches us to foster the outward steadiness of life and inward stillness of spirit that cultivates attentiveness to speech — or the lack thereof.
Let us follow the Prophet’s counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I have put a guard on my mouth. I was silent and was humbled, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 38[39]:2-3). Here the Prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence… Indeed, so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted event to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk, because it is written: In a flood of words you will not avoid sin (Prov 10:19); and elsewhere, The tongue holds the key to life and death (Prov 18:21). Speaking and teaching are the master’s task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.”13
St. Benedict exhorts the disciple not only to be silent, but also to listen. For keeping watch over our speech, and at times even refraining from it, preserves us from vice; but it is in listening that we attain grace.
Silence is not the mere absence of sound; it is the absence of a particular sound: our own voices, which, in our pride, are deafening. In silencing ourselves, we discover the true, good, and beautiful sound of silence: the ever-abiding symphony of the divine Word permeating all things. Some say it sounds like the windy whisper of rustling leaves. Some say it’s akin to the crackling of a fire. Others, still, say it’s more like the tender voice of a mother. Whatever its likeness, this beautiful sound is the Word we seek, the reason St. Benedict exhorts us to listen. It is that divine grace which heals us.
Let us listen, then, that we might hear the Word and do it; that by obedience we might perfect our humility and attain to the divine grace of true sight.
Let us mortal men keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand still and humble before the dishes, that Christ to earth may descend. We shall see the heavens opened wide for us, And behold the world renewed.
Recommended for Further Reading:
Rom 12:2
Psa 51:17
1 Pet 5:5-9
Sir 10:13
Eph 6:11-12
See Psa 124:1-2
Eph 6:10
Prov 21:31
Psa 124:6
See Eph 6:17
See Jam 1:21-22
St. Benedict of Nursia. Rule of St. Benedict, ed. Timothy Fry, OSB (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1981). Chapter I.
Rule of St. Benedict. Chapter VI.
Great wisdom from Saint Benedict. Being silent and guarding the tongue is so important and can be difficult. Thank you for writing this and reminding us to listen and be silent, especially in the midst of our mundane tasks.