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

Google

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