I visited the Abbey of the Genesee over the weekend. For those of you who do not know, retreats at the Abbey are unstructured and totally silent. At the entrance of the Retreat House there is a sign that reads: Please maintain silence. For me, those words feel like a warm, gentle embrace. As voices are stilled, a profound sense of God's presence emerges.

Daily there are optional one hour long conferences with one of the monks. At the conferences the monk shares some reflections that have emerged from his own prayer life. Other than those conferences, the only human voices heard are during the prayer services at the Abbey. At 2 am, 6 am, 11:15 am, 4:30 pm and 6:40 pm the Abbey Sanctuary is filled with the gentle chanting of hymns, psalms and quiet scripture readings.

For some it may seem odd, even awkward, to be silent for a full weekend...to share meals and walks with no conversation other than the profound internal conversation of thoughts, feelings and prayers. Some adopt a solemn demeanor, whle others feel free to make eye contact and share a gentle smile. As the time progresses, there is a feeling of solitude. It is an internal climate that is full, rich, and purely focused upon holiness which permeates the environment. This solitude is not at all lonely. It is not painful isolation...but an extraordinary awareness that each one present is "with God". As a result, there is a community that evolves that is based in oneness, whether the people you see are dear friends or total strangers.

One of the monks, Brother Justin, has this to say: "Somehow we think we precede God in solitude, but acually it is God who waits for us. He waited for Elijah on Mt. Horeb, and He waited for Jesus in the hills. True solitude lies not in the absence of people, but in the presence of God. Place your life face to face with God and surrender your life to Him. All at once you find yourself in the land of solitude and at home in it. A sure sign that it is God we encounter is that the experience leaves us calm and steady."

When I return to ordinary life, I do well to remember that silence really means listening to what the Lord has to say rather than what the "world" has to say. All of the sounds I hear can be prayerfully filtered as I ask, what might God be saying? It is possible to experience the steadiness of "silence" even though there is noise about me, or human voices. If I speak and move from the place deep within...that prayerful place where God's peace dwells, then every day can be one where I can embrace the blessing of solitude.

Easier said than done....but possible!