Pope Pius X called St. Therese “the greatest saint of modern times.” She’s well known for her “little way” spirituality of doing small, ordinary things with extraordinary love. She wrote in her autobiography, “What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.”
We will start praying this novena on Sunday, September 22nd.
There is no denying that we live in a noisy world. Thanks to technology and the constant stream of information and news bombarding our senses, many of us have a difficult time even understanding the meaning, let alone the importance, of silence.
But true silence–interior silence– is essential for prayer and our pursuit of holiness; for, as St. Mother Teresa said, it is in silence that the Lord speaks.
The Power of Silence
There is something sacred about silence. It is not merely an absence of noise, but rather a manifestation of God.
In Scripture we see that it is in silence that the Presence of God is revealed. In 1 Kings, for instance, we read about Elijiah’s profound encounter with God:
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ (1 Kings 19:11-13, emphasis added).
Similarly we know that Jesus regularly withdrew from the crowds to solitary places for prayer and communion with the Father.
Silence, therefore, is not only a space for quiet reflection but a sacred avenue for encountering the living God. It allows us to nurture our spiritual growth, listen attentively to God’s voice, and enter into a deeper communion with Him.
What the Saints said about Silence
“It is best to learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still so that God may speak.” St. John of the Cross
“In silence, one awakens from his sleep; all souls are sleepwalkers, their eyes shut against the noble lives they ought to lead. As a sleepwalker will not awaken to every sound but will often respond when his name is called, so the soul in silence hears the Divine vocation and awakens: for the Shepherd calls His sheep by name.” Ven. Fulton Sheen
“Listen in silence, because if your heart is full of other things you cannot hear the voice of God.” St. Teresa of Calcutta
“Silence is necessary, and even absolutely necessary. If silence is lacking, then grace is lacking.” St. Maximilian Kolbe
How to Cultivate Silence
As many of us don’t live a monastic life, silence may seem hard to come by; however, there are many ways to cultivate silence in your life even as a busy layperson.
Hold your tongue: Learning to keep a physical silence helps to cultivate an interior silence. Of course, avoid gossip, complaining, or criticizing but there may also be times, as St. Benedict writes in His Rule, where “good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence.” Practice speaking less and listening more in your daily life, so you may bring this skill with you to prayer.
Carve out moments of silence in your day: Resist the urge to fill every moment of your day with content and noise. Turn off the radio in the car, close your computer before bed in the evening, and avoid mindlessly scrolling on your phone throughout the day. Embrace moments of silences as they present themselves.
Ask for God’s Grace: No matter how hard we try to cultivate the skill of silence, it can still be difficult to practice. Ask God for a heart that listens to His voice and the ability to recognize His presence.
St. John Paul II said, “As the family goes… so goes the whole world in which we live,” so it’s really important that we pray for marriages and families to be strengthened and sanctified.
We’ll start praying on Friday, August 30th. You can share your prayer intentions with us all below – we’re praying for you!
The next novena is the St. Monica Novena! We’ll start praying on Sunday, August 18th.
St. Monica prayed for her son’s conversion for more than 15 years. She prayed constantly with faith and hope in God. Eventually, her son experienced a conversion and became a great saint: St. Augustine!
Acts of the Apostles and some of the Epistles of St. Paul identifies St. Barnabas as an early Christian and a companion of Paul.
Paul and Barnabas lead the community at Antioch before traveling as missionaries alongside St. Mark–spreading the Gospel to Cyprus, Perga, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra.
After he separated from Paul, Scripture doesn’t say any more about him; however, tradition holds that Barnabas went on to preach in Alexandria and Rome and eventually died a martyr.
Perhaps one of the most well-known saints in the Church, St Anthony has long been considered as the “patron saint of lost things” but he did so much more than we often talk about.
He joined the Franciscan Order and preached the Gospel with such eloquence and simplicity that even the most unlearned could understand and know God. For this reason, Pope Pius XII named him a Doctor of the Church.
St. Juliana, an Italian-born saint and niece of the Founder of the Servites, founded her own religious order–the Sisters of the Third Order of the Servites. Her work consisted primarily of caring for the sick and performing other Works of Mercy.
Before her death at the age of 71 she suffered greatly from illness and for this reason, the Church often asks for her intercession for those experiencing body illness.
St. Aloysius left the comfortable life of his wealthy Italian family to become a Jesuit priest.
While studying for the priesthood, Alousius suffered many illnesses and health issues–kidney problems, skin disease, chronic headaches, and insomnia. Despite this, he cared diligently for the sick when a plague broke out in Rome by opening a hospital.
He eventually caught the plague and died looking at the crucifix with the name of Jesus on his lips. St. Aloysius is the patron saint of students and Christian youth, as well as AIDS patients and caregivers.
St. Thomas More was an English married layman, who is well known for being a lawyer and statesman, as well as a philosopher, author, and scholar.
King Henry VIII appointed Thomas as Lord Chancellor but the positive working relationship between the two soured when Henry wanted More’s support to divorce Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. More remained faithful to the Catholic Church when Henry began the Church of England and became a martyr for his convictions.
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart as a moveable feast in June (19 days after Pentecost) as instructed by our Lord during his visit to St. Margaret Mary.
St. John Paul II said of the feast that it “…reminds us of the mystery of the love of God for the people of all times.”
Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on the day following the Feast of the Sacred Heart to emphasize the important connection between the hearts of Christ and His Mother. Devotion to both Jesus and Mary can more fully help the faithful enter into God’s love.
The Church invites us to meditate on the virtues in the Heart of Mary and to strive to imitate her love for the Trinity.
Saint John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus and the Last of the Prophets, was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. Even before his birth, he proclaimed the coming of the Savior by jumping in his mother’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice.
John preached about a Baptism for repentance and turned many hearts to God. The Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist on his birthday June 24th. You can begin the novena on June 16th.
St. Cyril of Alexandria served as Patriarch of Alexandria in the 300s-400s and played a major role in combating Nestorius, a heretic who taught that Christ was two distinct people and that Mary could not rightly be called the “Mother of God.”
Despite suffering martyrdom on different days, the Church traditionally celebrates the lives of Sts. Peter and Paul on the same feast.
These two men–Peter one of the 12 Apostles and the first pope, and Paul a persecutor of Christians turned preacher of the Faith–show the true power of God’s grace to transform lives.
St. Elizabeth of Portugal, born a Spanish Princess, had a difficult marriage to King Denis of Portugal. She suffered from her husband’s infidelity and the various conflicts among her children and her husband’s illegitimate children.
St. Maria Goretti is one of the youngest saints in the Church. Maria died at the age 11 after refusing the sexual advances of Alessandro Serenelli–the son of the farmer who owned the land her family worked.
Alessandro stabbed her 14 times yet she was able to forgive him. Maria’s last words were “I want [Alessandro] with me in heaven forever.” He later converted and attended her canonization.
This version of the novena is attributed to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. She is most commonly associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
You can share your prayer intentions below. We’re praying for you.
