Caterina Benincasa Dominican Monastery

Mind and heart. Flesh and spirit. Seen and unseen. Natural and spiritual. It would seem we are always dealing with dualities in this life of ours. Perhaps that is why Jesus gave himself to us in both bread and wine, his body and blood.

St. Thomas tells us that the spiritual food of communion is given to us to make us divine. A mere mortal is capable of divinity! It’s no wonder devotion to the Eucharist has spread throughout the church down through the centuries. What greater calling can we have than divinity? Yet, after years of receiving, why are we still so terribly mortal, fallible, sinful?

Divinization requires purification and a total surrender to Jesus. It is not so hard as it is constant. Once we become habitually conscious of Jesus, we enter into a realm of union with him we never dreamt possible. And that is when heaven begins here on earth.

Silence. It is an essential monastic observance. Monasteries are houses of silence. Why?

Silence makes you deal with yourself, without distractions or interruptions. When you are silent, your thoughts and emotions are more perceptible. You have an opportunity to address those things that need to be changed in yourself, to take stock of your actions, to reflect on your life.

Silence is also necessary to find God. He dwells in the silence of your heart. You can find him in that silence; in fact, it is almost impossible to find him otherwise.

Monastic silence is not a lack of sound; monastic silence is an exterior manifestation of interior reflection, meditation, examine, and prayer.

If you would be a monastic, wherever you are or whatever your life style, you need monastic silence. Be still, without a prayer book open in front of you, or earplugs jammed into your ears, and sit quietly. Learn to listen to that silence. Learn to open your heart to that silence. It takes time. But you reap rich rewards from the lesson, learning to perceive a world that is neither tangible nor common.

Ever think you knew what God’s plan was for your life, gone forward with assurance, seen signs of God’s approval, had doors opened, wonderful events happen, and then have everything fall apart? That’s good. Because such is the stuff of learning discernment.

Discernment is not a sure or hard science. It’s an intuition. It is hearing that small whisper within the heart, and translating what it is saying. It is stepping out when you think you understand. But most of all, it is taking a chance at being wrong. You cannot learn discernment without a willingness to make a mistake.

Each baptized individual has the spirit within, through the powerful presence of God that dwells in the soul. Discernment requires an awareness of that spirit, with sensitivity to its inspirations and enlightenment. Discernment is not hearing a voice or seeing a vision; it is recognizing a Way. The first step toward that recognition requires knowledge of our own frailty. Going forward means you are searching, not that you are succeeding. In fact, acknowledging a mistake and turning again to discernment is a sure signal you are learning to listen. Only those who listen carefully can discern better.

Life is a journey. One’s path can lead in convoluted directions. Yet, as sure as God is God, each of us has a destiny to fulfill. Precisely because each person’s destiny is different, he or she will find fulfillment only through learning careful discernment. Because no one knows where God wants you or what His plans are for you. Only he can tell you that, in the deep recesses of your heart.