Written by Maura A
Before I left for the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia, I was talking to a friend who was going on a men’s seminary trip that same weekend. We were both talking about how we were excited for the spiritual adventure ahead. He said something to me that I would remember for the rest of the trip and after it. I told him that I was going to visit the Motherhouse of the Nashville Dominicans, and he smiled and said, “Into great silence.”
“Into great silence.”
I have absolutely no idea where he got that phrase- maybe it was from a book, or a priest’s homily, or simply from his own reflections on monastic life. That phrase resonated within my mind. Each time I repeated it in my head, the words felt like the equivalent of a bell ringing within my mind- clear and distinct. That phrase would form the framework for my time at the Motherhouse.
I have so many fond memories of my time at the Motherhouse. It was a weekend spent with a wonderful group of friends, the amazing Sisters, and God. When I think of the Motherhouse, I think of white marble friezes, light pouring in through tall glass windows, laughter at dinnertime, and His presence. When I first walked through the large wooden doors of the Motherhouse, my friends and I dropped off our phones in a phone basket at the front and followed one of the Sisters, who was going to show us to our rooms. While we were on the way, she stopped and suddenly said “Wait- we have to see Him first!” She led us into the chapel- which was indescribably beautiful and wonderfully silent. I remember standing in there with her and my friends. It was the most silent place that I have ever been in. As I looked around at the tall white curved ceiling, I became aware that I was in the presence of God- omnipresent, vast, and powerful. In that chapel, I felt that His presence was boundless, all-knowing, and all-present. After a few minutes, the Sister opened the doors to the chapel and we left the chapel and went off to our rooms.
Each day, we would rise for morning prayer and Mass. Then, it was breakfast time. We each had chores to do each day as well- whether that was prep or cleanup after meals. We would listen to talks by another Dominican priest on different virtues. About one hour would be in the schedule for free time, where we could explore the Motherhouse, pray, go to the chapel, or talk to the Sisters.
The Motherhouse certainly was vast. I remember frequently getting lost among the many hallways, corridors, and staircases. Whenever a Sister would walk by, I would smile and pretend as if I wasn’t lost- I would forge on ahead as if I knew exactly where I was going. After a few frantic prayers to my favorite saint, I would end up in a place that I recognized and was able to find my way from there.
At night, there was a period of silence that lasted until morning prayer. It was called the ‘Grand Silence’. That was quite an adjustment for me, because at night I would usually talk to my friends. I tried to keep the silence, as did my retreat-mates. Occasionally, the silence was broken by the loud buzz of my electric toothbrush. I never noticed that it was so loud!
Towards the end of the retreat, I felt like I had bonded with the girls that I went with. We were all different, individual people who had varying interests and friend groups. At that point in all of our lives, we happened to be thrown in a car that careened up the winding mountain roads of Tennessee. By praying, laughing, and being silent together, I felt like I had grown closer to each girl that was in my group. As I was reflecting on this during the trip back to Raleigh, I was wondering why we all felt like we had become better friends. I came to the conclusion that it was because of the atmosphere of prayer, silence, and community that was fostered in the Motherhouse.
Oddly enough, silence was what brought us closer together. Not just silence that comes from the absence of sound, but the silence of the things of the world. By taking a short break from our busy lives, and coming to rest with the Lord, we silenced the things of the world in order to hear His voice. The world is a noisy place, full of confusing paths and empty promises. Please silence the world, and listen to Him.