Finding God in Silence
Finding God in Silence: Teachings of the Desert Fathers
Fr James Raj – St Ann’s Catholic Church, Kingston Hill
25 October 2025
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Dear friends, today we reflect on silence — the forgotten language of God. Our world is crowded with noise, screens, and speed. Yet, the human heart deeply hungers for stillness. Early Christians recognised this truth. When the Church became respected after the 4th century, some feared that discipleship was becoming comfortable rather than converted. They believed that if the Church lived in the city, Christ Himself might be found in the wilderness. So men and women left everything familiar and went to the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine — seeking only God. These saints became known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers.
St John of the Cross beautifully wrote:
Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.
They discovered that in silence, the soul hears God again.
Why the Desert?
The story begins with St Anthony the Great. After hearing the Gospel — “Go, sell what you own and give to the poor” — he obeyed immediately. He entered the desert, not to run away, but to confront himself. The desert stripped away distraction and comfort, revealing the inner battle of the heart. His life story, written by St Athanasius, travelled everywhere and thousands followed. The wilderness became their school of holiness — a protest against shallow religion and a return to the radical call of Jesus: “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.”
Athanasius wrote:
The desert became a city of monks.
Purpose of Silence
The Desert Fathers believed salvation begins with a purified heart. The greatest noise in life is not the environment but the thoughts and anxieties within. They embraced a spiritual path called hesychia — holy stillness. Silence was their active work: attentiveness to God.
Abba Moses taught:
Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.
Meaning: the true “cell” is the heart — where God dwells.
Key Figures and Their Wisdom
St Anthony the Great — Simplicity and love.
People found peace in his presence because silence had transformed him into the image of Christ. He said:
Our life and our death are with our neighbour. If we gain our brother, we gain God.
Silence must always lead to charity.
St Pachomius — The community builder.
Not all are called to lone solitude. Pachomius formed the first monasteries. He wrote:
As bees are one in the hive, so are we one in Christ.
Community becomes a place where selfishness dies and love grows.
Abba Arsenius — Wisdom of silence.
Teacher of emperors. Scholar of Rome. He left everything to learn one lesson:
Flee, be silent, pray always.
He later said:
I have often repented of having spoken, but never of having remained silent.
Wisdom begins when pride stops speaking.
Abba Moses the Black — Humility and mercy.
Once a violent man, transformed by grace. When monks judged a brother, Moses arrived carrying a bag of sand leaking behind him:
My sins run out behind me and I do not see them; yet I come to judge my brother.
Silence turns judgement into compassion.
Amma Syncletica — The Desert Mother of wisdom.
Her teaching remains powerful today:
One can be solitary in a crowd if the heart is with God.
Silence is an interior grace, not a location.
Abba Macarius the Great — Forgiveness and gentle silence.
Falsely accused of sin, he accepted humiliation without complaint. When proven innocent, he simply said:
Silence heals.
He taught:
If we remember the wrongs of others, God will not remember ours.
Theology of Silence
Silence for them was not emptiness — it was union with God. Words can only take us so far; then silence receives the mystery. St Isaac the Syrian wrote:
In silence, the mysteries of the age to come are revealed.
The desert tradition developed the Jesus Prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”
It begins as words on the lips, moves to the mind, then settles into the heart — becoming breath itself. This stillness is the foundation of Christian contemplation.
Silence for Today
We do not live in the Egyptian desert. But we do live in a digital desert — constant noise, endless scrolling, racing minds. The call of Christ remains: “Come away and rest a while.” Silence today is healing. Silence is a spiritual rebellion against anxiety. Silence is a powerful witness of peace.
How can we practise it?
• A few quiet minutes each morning and evening
• Silent thanksgiving before meals
• Adoration — simply resting before Jesus
• Walk in nature without devices
• Listen deeply — without planning your reply
• Forgive silently — without demanding apology
Silence strengthens relationships and transforms prayer. It allows God to be God.
Conclusion
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1)
The desert is not far away — it is within you. When we learn to sit in silence before God, the inner desert blossoms into a garden of grace. Silence becomes our teacher. Silence becomes our prayer. Silence becomes our communion with Jesus.
May the breath of God fill our silence. May the light of Christ guide our hearts. And may we find in silence the God who has been waiting for us all along.
Amen.
Fr James Raj
St Ann’s Catholic Church, Kingston Hill