The longing for a quiet life with sensibly scheduled periods of silence and being alone, in which patience and calmness are cultivated, is found attractive by a remarkable and growing number of people. And then not like a little gimmick or a studied attitude, but from the heart, a heart that has tasted that a life in quietness, to sit quietly with the Lord, provides energy and vitality and space to breathe. The giving up of superficial excitement is then not a "penance" but a blessing.

*Wil Derkse. A Blessed Life. "Reticence and Silence."

Our writing today is on quietness as integral to spiritual living. Prayerful silence fulfills a deep longing within us, but a longing many persons have so long ignored, they have grown deaf to it - or at least to recognizing the longing for what it is. Yet, the need for quiet prayerfulness remains for us to live a balanced life and, also, not surrender to the widespread busyness-at-all-costs, including the cost of health and quality time with dear loved ones. As the body requires attention, so does the spirit.