I have come to know these Sisters very well over the past few years, and I was very happy to see them again. Being there reminded me much of what I learned from this class, especially concerning our discussions of the value of silence. Although these Sisters are much less strict than the Carthusian monks we watched a few weeks ago, they have times of silence and personal reflection throughout their day. For a little under a week I got to live like them, working and praying, much needless conversation set aside. These Sisters are not completely contemplative/cloistered. They live a semi-contemplative/active life in which they do the apostolic work of taking care of the elderly and having a Day Care for children on their convent grounds.
When I spent personal time in the chapel, I noticed that although it was easy to avoid the outside noise inside those convent walls, it was extremely difficult for the first day or so to turn off the noise in my mind...thinking of things I had to do, wondering how my family was doing back home, and a countless list of other things. After awhile, though, my lack of technol
ogy while there and the silence I got to experience at set points in the day was refreshingly beautiful. It was as if I learned more about myself and my faith in under a week than I had in the past several months. I came home with a great peace.Interestingly enough, the biggest culture shock after all this was returning to the airport. As soon as I stepped in after my "experience of silence", I could not believe how much senseless noise was around me! People were in such a hurry, rushing, running with their cell phones...and I wondered, "What is this all for, anyway?" It made me wonder how I ever could have lived in this world of senseless noise for so long. Let's just say it has caused me to reflect deeply about what I want in life, where I am headed...and why.
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