Silence and Word
Path of
Evangelization
A Journey through the World Communication Day Message
2012
Silence and the Word
A forgotten aspect of communication?
Integration
• Alternate and balance silence and the word.
• Integrate one with the other.
• A proper integration of silence and word
allows for authentic dialogue and deep
closeness between people
Communication breaks down when word
and silence become mutually exclusive giving
rise to confusion and darkness.
When word and
silence
compliment
one another
communication
acquires value and
meaning
Silence is an integral part of human
existence
When silence is
absent,
words rich in content
cannot exist.
In silence
we can
listen to
and
understand
ourselves
In silence
ideas are
born and
deepen
In silence we gain clarity and
understanding of:• What we want to say
• What we expect from others
• How we choose to express ourselves
Authentic Communication
By keeping silence we allow others to speak
In the practice of
silence
we avoid being tied to
our own untested
point of view.
We create space for mutual listening and
deeper human relationships
Facial expressions and body language are how people reveal
themselves to one
another in love (or
not)
Silence is eloquent
Through silence
we communicate
all of human living: joys, anxieties,
sorrows, dreams
Discernment
When there is a lot of noise around us,
silence is essential for
discernment
in order to distinguish
what is important
from what is insignificant or secondary.
Reflection
Deeper
reflection
helps us
discover
links
between
events
that at first
seem
unrelated.
Silence and media
We can
become
media
mindful when
we evaluate
information
and analyze
messages.
Media mindfulness
The person who is
media mindful
shares thoughtful
and relevant opinions.
Create your own media eco-system
Balance• Silence
• Words
• Images
• Sound
Today the process of communication is fueled by the
search for answers
Advice
IdeasInformation
Solutions
Searching
People are bombarded
by answers
to questions
they have not asked
and solutions to needs
they did not know they had
Silence is precious
• Silence lets
us focus on
important
questions
• Silence
helps us
exercise
discernment
The human condition still seeks existential meaning
• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• What can I know?
• What am I to do?
• What may I hope?
• We affirm those who ask these questions
when we can give them more than a hasty
answer
• We then open the possibility for profound
dialogue
• We call them to silent reflection and to reach
into the depths of their being and open
themselves to what God has written on their
hearts
Questions
• The constant flow of questions
demonstrates the restlessness of the
human heart.
• People are constantly searching for
truths of lesser or greater import to
give meaning to their lives.
We all yearn for truth
We cannot rest
content with a
superficial
and unquestioning
exchange
of skeptical
opinions
and experiences
of life.
“When people exchange
information, they are
already sharing themselves,
their view of the world, their
hopes,
their ideals.”
Pay attention
Know
websites
and social
network sites
that can help
people find time
for reflection.
Tweet the Word
Tweets, however, still need the context of
a cultivated
inner life
We need the silence that
becomes contemplation, a
silence that introduces us
into God’s silence and brings
us to the point where the
redeeming Word is born.
Inner power
Contemplation brings
forth:• the urgent sense of mission
• the compelling obligation to communicate
what we have seen and heard
• so that all may be one, in communion with
God and one another
Silent contemplation
Contemplation immerses us in the grandeur of God and the source of Love who directs us to our neighbor.
Silent contemplation
• Silence leads us to the eternal Word,
the Creator of the world who becomes
more present to us.
• Contemplation makes us aware of
God’s plan being accomplished in
history.
Only in the
mystery
of Jesus
can the restless
human heart
find peace
In silence
we learn
“to communicate that which we
have seen and heard.”
(1 Jn. 1:3)
Impelled by Mystery
This mystery impels us
to become heralds of hope and salvation
and witnesses of that love
which promotes
human dignity
and builds justice
and peace
To Mary, whose silence “listens to the
Word and causes it to blossom,” I
entrust all the work of evangelization
which the Church undertakes through
the means of social communication.
- Benedict XVI
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