The Spirituality of Silence

The Spirituality of Silence is a journey of silence, prayer, docility, and discernment. The hands of the Virgin of Silence symbolically indicate this path:

The right hand: Stop, Calm Down, Wait

Stop: we all run, but where to? A mystic wrote, “Stop, whither are you running; Heaven is in you; if you seek God elsewhere you will forever miss Him.” (Angelus Silesius). Stopping to be silent and pray, to savor every moment as a gift from God, to start again from every defeat in life, stop to reinvent oneself and create new things.

Calm Down: Padre Pio often said, “Pray and hope, do not be agitated. Agitation is of no use. God is good and merciful; He will listen to your prayer.” Calming down, against the anxiety of efficiency, activism, and the future. Living in the present moment is the secret of saints, wise people, and artists. Wait: the truth makes its way in time, God’s works are revealed in time, people manifest themselves in time. Time is the true criterion of discernment to discover the wheat and the tares. Saint Bishop Don Tonino Bello said, “To wait: it’s the verb ‘to love’,” because patience achieves everything.

Avezzano (l’Aquila) 5-8-2020
Santuario della Madonna del Silenzio
nelle foto Fra Emiliano Antenucci
Ph: Cristian Gennari/Siciliani

The left hand indicates Silence and Heaven

Silence: Silence is the language of God, the language of love, the groan of the saints, the colored pen of artists, the fundamental note of musicians, the light breeze of the wind, the song of nature, the whisper of angels, the heartbeat, the last cry of the deceased. Mary, Virgin of Silence, teacher and spiritual mother, teach us to embrace the gift of silence to listen to God and refrain from the temptation of gossiping about others, of envy, and slander.

Heaven: Saint Paul writes, ” Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.!” (Colossians 3:1-3). From heaven, we have come, and to heaven, we return: this is the Christian reality that fills us with profound joy.

Consecration to the Virgin of Silence

O Mary, Virgin and Mother of Silence,
I consecrate my entire life to you.
Deign to imprint in my heart the face of your Son Jesus,
who died and rose again for me.
At the joyful announcement of the angel, you said “Fiat,”
at the wedding in Cana, you taught me to do everything that the Lord says;
under the cross, you gave me the example of union with Jesus obedient to the Father.
Virgin of Silence, channel of grace,
grant me every day the strength of sincere conversion
and a stable vocation.
Mary, dew of divine Beauty,
make me a masterpiece of holiness,
realized at the dear price of the blood of Christ.
O Mary, cathedral of Silence,
let this prayer resound in me:
“Do not be afraid, for you are my child and are loved by the heavenly Father.”
Holy Mary, anchor of salvation, bridge between heaven and earth,
guide me along with the angels and saints
to build the Kingdom of God on earth,
so that I may live in the constant presence of the Holy Trinity
and desire for others and for myself
the endless peace and joy of the heavenly Jerusalem.
Amen

Father Emiliano Antenucciwith ecclesiastical approval

Prayer to the 12 Virtù del Silenzio

SILENCE. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence, I ask for the gift of inner silence so that I can hear the voice of God within me. Amen Ave Maria…
LISTENING. Oh Mary, Virgin of Listening, grant me the faith to hear and practice the Cross and Light Word of Your Son Jesus. Amen Ave Maria…
HUMILITY. Oh Mary, Madonna of Humility, I am a mixture of earth and sky; grant me sweetness toward my neighbor and holy humility toward God. Amen Ave Maria…
JOY. Oh Mary, Mother of our Joy, may my soul magnify the wonders of God’s Love. Amen Ave Maria…
ATTENTION. Oh Mary, Virgin Attentive to the Son of God, may I be attentive to God and to the brothers and sisters around me. Amen Ave Maria…
WAITING. Oh Mary, Virgin of Waiting, may I know how to wait for God’s timing with patience and perseverance, so that only the will of God may be fulfilled in me. Amen Ave Maria…
BALANCE. Oh Mary, Virgin of Balance, grant me balance between silence and words, rest and work, prayer and apostolate. Amen Ave Maria…
DOCILITY. Oh Mary, Virgin of Docility, place in my heart Your “heavenly mother” heart and the Heart of Your Son, gentle and humble, obedient in abandonment to the heavenly Father. Amen Ave Maria…
STABILITY. Oh Mary, Virgin of Stability, I ask for the stability of heart and mind so that I can take up my cross daily on the path of Calvary and Tabor. Amen Ave Maria…
PURITY. Oh Mary, All-Pure Virgin, grant me a pure heart, full of tenderness and sincere love for all creatures. Amen Ave Maria…
TRUST. Oh Mary, Mother of Trust, keep discouragement and sadness away from me; instead, infuse peace, joy, and hope, so that trust in God can work miracles. Amen Ave Maria…
MERCY. Oh Mary, Mother of Mercy, under Your Mantle, I place my entire life; may it be an instrument of peace, forgiveness, and mercy. Amen

Hail Mary…
Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Angels and all Saints, pray for us and with us.
It concludes with the pray (Jesus, Mary, save our souls!) repeated for a rosary decade (50 times), then pray for the intentions of the Pope and the Church with Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. Finally, the sign of the cross is drawn on the forehead, mouth and heart. Amen

Father Emiliano Antenucci

Novena to the Virgin of Silence

Have trust in Mary, a trust without limits; she extends her Mother’s hand to you, gazes at you with her eyes full of mercy, encourages you with her entirely compassionate voice, opens her heart that has endured so much for you. You know how much she loves you, or rather, you don’t know, because she loves you more than you can imagine. (F. Pollien, Carthusian)

Outline: Invocation to the Holy Spirit, Angelus, prayer of the day of the novena, and silent-meditative prayer on the “fruit” of Silence (Trust, Listening, Humility, Unity, Hope, Liberation, Peace, Joy, Love).

TRUST. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and Mother of Trust, dispel discouragement, despair, and sloth so that I may bring order to my life and commit myself every day to fulfill the Plan of Love that Your Son Jesus has for me. Amen.

LISTENING. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and of Listening, I cast into Your Heart and that of Your Son Jesus rebellion, spiritual deafness, and disobedience to the will of God. Oh Mother of Light, grant me a mind open to Grace, a docile and expanded heart to love, and a will ready to respond to God’s invitations. Amen.

HUMILITY. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and Madonna of Humility, I am “kneaded of earth and heaven,” grant my soul to be “fertilized” by the mystery of the Incarnation, so that it may bear fruits of light and love for others. Amen.

UNITY. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and Mother of Unity, my heart and my life are torn and shattered by sin, hatred, and death. Mother of Consolation, grant me to be an instrument of peace and unity in every present moment. Amen.

HOPE. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and Mother of Hope, banish lack of faith, hope, and charity. Grant me “inner eyes” to see everything with purity, kindness, and optimism, so that I may see God in every person and daily event. Amen.

LIBERATION. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and Queen of Victories, free me from all past, present, and future evils and grant me a liberated heart to sing the wonders of the Love of Jesus and the protection of Your heavenly Mantle, Mary. Amen.

PEACE. Oh Mary, Virgin of Silence and Queen of Peace, grant peace to our hearts, our homes, our families, and our communities. Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people of goodwill. Let this announcement of the angels for the birth of the King of Peace always resound within us. Amen.

JOY. O Mary, Virgin of Silence and Mother of Joy, dispel sadness, mediocrity, and superficiality. Rejoice, Mary… (each person in silence can say their name). May the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel open our eyes to the Light every morning and illuminate our faces and the faces of those we encounter along the journey of life. Amen.

LOVE. O Mary, Virgin of Silence and Mother of Beautiful Love, teach us true, free, and eternal Love. Grant us a loving gaze that opens us to life, creation, and beauty. Amen.

PRAYER:

Holy Mary, Virgin of silence and mysterious peace: sorrowful, strong, faithful, you wait at the tomb where the Word is silent and the Holy One of God lies. You wait vigilantly for the Light to emerge from the darkness, for Life to sprout from the earth. You wait for the dawn of the day without sunset, the hour of the birth of the new humanity.
You wait to see in the risen Son the new face of redeemed man, to hear the new greeting of peace, to sing the new song of glory. Virgin of the Spirit, icon of the Church, implore for us your faith in the Word, your hope in the Kingdom, your love for God and for humanity. To you, glorious Mother of God, blessed for your faith, woman of immense piety, our perpetual and grateful praise. Amen.

Father Emiliano Antenucci

Prayer to the Virgin of Silence

O Mary, Virgin and Cathedral of Silence,
I consecrate my entire life to you.
Mother of continuous prayer, you are the womb
of our praise, for you adore the infant Word and
the immaculate and sacrificed Lamb for our salvation.
Support me in raising my hands to heaven, to magnify
the Lord, resist the assaults of the enemy, and
bear the joys and hardships of today’s people.
Source of joy and star announcing the rising
of the Sun, illuminate the Christian path, opening
always the eyes of my heart to the wonder of the Light of Life.
Mary, testament of Love beneath the cross, help me
to love as God desires, so that I may live
in eternal bliss with the angels and saints. Amen

Father Emiliano Antenucci