Most of us have pretty noisy lives: some of that noise we could reduce and some we simply can’t avoid—but Lord knows we could all benefit from a little more silence:
“In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves.”
—from Pope Benedict’s “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization”
I’m happy to share my third in a series of four columns during May for the “Husband & Wife” section of the Knights of Columbus’ initiative, Fathers For Good. The Knights [and I] welcome your comments!
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Silence Speaks: You need not say much to communicate
by Julie Filby
Some studies show that, on average, men say about 6,000 words a day, and women close to 9,000 (it may come as no surprise to many of you that the tally is higher for us ladies).
Too many? Too few? Just about right?
Last Sunday marked World Communications Day, an initiative proposed by the Second Vatican Council and launched May 7, 1967. It’s a day the faithful are asked to reflect on how we, specifically the media, communicate the Good News of the Gospel.
As a member of the Catholic media, writing for the Denver Catholic Register… [read more]
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I’m a wife, mother of two (8 and 5), and reporter for the Denver Catholic Register newspaper. I love to write and can't believe I get to do it for a living.
Hey Julie, I appreciated your connection to the Fathers for Good program. Very interesting to review.
By: Thoughts From Paul Hill on May 23, 2012
at 6:37 am
That was nice, Julie! Three ideas I am taking away:
1. “silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary,” just seems healthy thinking to me.
2. I love that there’s a patron saint of communication. Cheers to St. Francis.
3. I don’t think *anyone* should read online comments. Ugh… they usually are argumentative and petty and don’t contribute to my (or anyone’s) thinking. I’m always so optimistic I’ll see some good insights… never do. Thanks! 8) K
By: KVN on May 22, 2012
at 6:35 pm