In the silence, whether we listen to the creation around us, the words of revelation, or the deepest stirrings of our own hearts, we begin to perceive another voice, one that is too often lost in the static of life. It is no use saying: “Speak, Lord, your servant wants to hear,” if we never risk the silence to listen.

M. Basil Pennington, A Place Apart: Monastic Prayer and Practice for Everyone