# Listening in Silence: Embracing Quiet for Deeper Prayer
*2022-10-19*

> Bill Young reflects on the importance of silence during Lent, drawing from Pope Francis’ “Renew Our Hearts” and 1 Samuel 3:9, and offers a prayer for finding daily quiet to hear God’s voice.

## Setting the Scene

Good morning, this is Bill Young, and welcome to the Prayer in Lunch podcast. Today is Friday, the first week of Lent, and we’re praying from the little book *Renew Our Hearts: A Personal Invitation to the Lenten Conversion* by Pope Francis. The theme for today is “Listening in Silence.” The Scripture that frames our reflection is 1 Samuel 3:9: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

## Why Silence Matters

Before we can truly hear God’s Word, we must dispose ourselves to listen. That means recovering the value of silence so we can meditate on the Word that comes to us. In our busy lives we often devote only brief moments to quiet, but God invites us to set aside longer periods of stillness. When we love God and recognize His desire to speak, we can take the time we need to practice the art of listening—not merely hearing, but opening our hearts.

## The Gift of Listening

Listening in communication is an openness of heart that makes possible the closeness required for a genuine spiritual encounter. It helps us discern the right gestures and the words that move us beyond being mere by‑standers. Respectful, compassionate listening allows us to enter the path of true growth and awakens our yearning for the Christian ideal—to respond fully to God’s love and to bear fruit from what He has sown in our lives.

## A Prayer for Quiet

Jesus, help me find a silent place and a time each day to listen more intensely to Your Word.

*Silence is not empty; it is the fertile ground where God’s voice can be heard and our hearts can respond.*