The Life of Quietness
🕊 The Main Idea
The lecture revolves around the importance of quietness in a person’s spiritual life, especially during the fasting period, as quietness is considered an essential atmosphere that helps spiritual growth and closeness to God.
🌿 Quietness as a Divine Nature and the Origin of Creation
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that quietness was the original state from the beginning, as God existed in quietness before creating the world. With the entrance of sin, disturbance and noise entered human life, and this inner peace was lost.
⛰ Fasting and Quietness
True fasting is not only abstaining from food, but it must be accompanied by quietness, stillness, and seclusion. The Lord Christ and the prophets lived periods of fasting in mountains and quiet places, which يدل على importance of quietness in spiritual life.
💠 Types of Quietness
Quietness includes several aspects:
- Quietness of the soul
- Quietness of thoughts
- Quietness of nerves
- Quietness of words
- Quietness of dealings
A quiet person lives in inner peace and radiates this peace outwardly.
🔥 The Danger of a Turbulent Nature
The text speaks about some aggressive natures that lack quietness, such as a quick-tempered or constantly tense person, and confirms that these natures can change, as happened with Saint Moses the Black who transformed from violence to gentleness.
🧠 Inner Quietness
A quiet person does not allow external influences to disturb him, but deals with matters with stability. This is like a mountain that is not easily shaken, unlike weak things that collapse quickly.
💬 Quiet Words and Dealings
Calm and gentle speech has a great effect in calming others and solving problems, while harsh words can ignite conflicts. Therefore, a person must learn to choose words carefully.
💪 True Strength in Quietness
Strength is not in anger or agitation, but in self-control and mastering emotions. A strong person is one who controls his nerves and faces situations with calmness and wisdom.
🌸 Practical Application
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III calls for training oneself in quietness during fasting by:
- Reducing external noise
- Controlling thoughts and emotions
- Practicing silence at times
- Choosing calm responses
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