Video – Battle for Silence – Advent Reflection – Fr. Patrick Hyde – 1 of 2

Fr. Patrick Hyde, O.P. discusses the Church Fathers' teaching on the need to strive and battle for silence in our life in order to grow in holiness and how this is especially important as we enter the Advent season, preparing for Christ's coming.  He discusses how silence helps us to spread the word of God by first enabling us to receive Him so that we are able to give Him to others.

This is the First talk of two for the 2017 Advent Day of Reflection given Fr. Patrick Hyde O.P., "Preparing for Christ in Silence, The Role of Silence in the Church Fathers" at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington IN.

For more talks from the day of reflection:
https://tinyurl.com/FrPatrickAirmaria
or https://tinyurl.com/FrPatrickYTube

Fr. Patrick Hyde is Associate Pastor and Campus Minister at St. Paul's Catholic Center at the Bloomington Campus of Indiana University: http://www.hoosiercatholic.org/

The day of reflection took place at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington, IN: http://www.maryschildren.com/

- CONF 396 Ave Maria!

Rough notes from the event (Time stamps are approximate):

5:00 Silence needed in our noisy world but Advent especially good time for silence for deeper conversion, let Christ come int our hearts

Role of silence seen as a means to an end but it is also time to be with Christ.

7:00 Potential marriage candidates, can you be in silence together? for evangelization need to have before we can give.

9:00 Not all are monks, but all are called to spend some time in silence

2 Questions What is silence? what is relation between monks and lay, between contemplative and active life

we are always called higher which means we are called o deeper into silence

Then will go into the Fathers Evagrius of Pontus

2nd session John Cassian and Isaac of Nineveh, Syria

12:00

Goals of this talk

1. First obstacle to silence is self, our fallen nature but we can overcome this, pray through them and invitation to deeper prayer.

2. Need for silence in our lives and our apostolic activities

3. Silence requires work and even words ironically

4. Discover areas we are called to greater silence and prayer

5. Learn some about esoteric Church Fathers

14:00

What can we learn from Desert Fathers:

1. To act like a saint we must pray like a saint. Ned to drive out vices

2. Importance of following a rule even if we are not monks

1 thes 5;17 prayer ceaselessly Goal is sanctity and needs to be our whole focus in life

17:00

3. community is important whether monk or married needed for becoming holy

4. find where we are broken and remove the vice

5. Battle for silence. Must fight for it.

6. Vital role of Scripture in our prayer life. Fathers would memorize especially the psalms

19:00 John Cassian - not a heretic even though accused of by some

Fathers Don't pull punches Helps us recognize our faults. But point to their own so we don't despair

23:00 What is silence? The Power of Silence by Card. Sarah: https://tinyurl.com/y9k6gs2m

What silence is not

- not just lack of noise and thought, not Zen Buddhism, not blanking mind. It is not the goal, Not an end to itself - active component involved

Silence is a way of life, active: asceticism, self renunciation, humility

Asceticism - penance, Guarding tongue

Self renunciation - give up something

Humility - All good I have is a gift, for prayer and for helping others

30:00 Silence is internal and external

External remove iPhone etc. noise

Internal - meditation on life of Jesus, not just silent but falling in love with Jesus.

Three type of prayer: vocal, meditation, contemplation First two we can do, but third is a gift, but must do the first two before God gives the last for internal silence need external silence first

33:00 Silence gives us a taste for prayer and sets our life aflame

Best people to ask about prayer are the spiritual veterans. Not always the nicest but have the wisdom Silence is more art than science. We must step into the breach of silence to receive Christ

37:00 If we want to preach, must be silent

Cities- must get away at times

Monks were hermits with common prayer and mass

Practical- Not just jump to the heights but going step by step

41:00 Monks were very clear, instructive about human person

Battle is the climbing of the ladder

three points from desert fathers

1 necessity of silence- noise leads to sickness.

- path to deeper prayer not that healed from spiritual sickness Simplicity

- leads to a simple way of praying

42:00 from book

Stillness of water clears murkiness, so too with our souls, can see ourselves better

Unceasing prayer should be goal

It is process Helps us become all things, enables us to set everything on fire

45:00 Wrap-up work of a lifetime Growing in love Drive out our faults, Receive the light of Christ.

When our life is prayer then people will seek us out.

Be still and know that I am God. psalm 46

This is how we become great evangelizers and Christians of action.

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