They Speak by Silences

by A. Carthusian

The thoughts contained in this book were from the pen of one who, in the silence of the Charterhouse, had already arrived at the summits of the spiritual heights, and dwelt there unceasingly. Souls who have reached such perfection in this life are rare; not so rare, however, are those who ardently aspire thereto. It is chiefly for such as these - to encourage and help them to arrive at those same heights - that these thoughts have been preserved and collected. They Speak by Silences was first published in French in 1948, and has since allowed Carthusian wisdom and spirituality to reach the widest possible audience. This new, and widely requested edition carries on the tradition. It will provide material for daily reading and reflection for newcomers to Carthusian spirituality and, equally, for those who have already discovered the riches it has to offer. Not everyone can experience that same recollection that exists in a Charterhouse, but they must not be afraid to set aside as far as possible at least some moments, however short, for recollection and to give some time to Him Who is within them. It is in that silence that He speaks to us, and bids us listen to Him. Other books of classic Carthusian spirituality published by Gracewing include The Call of Silent Love, The Prayer of Love and Silence and The Wound of Love.

Genres: Spirituality, Prayer

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this at the same time as I was reading The Prayer of Love and Silence - A Carthusian, another book in the same series of books by Carthusians, and, while not quite as deep as that book, They Speak By Silences contains many treasures of wisdom, especially regarding peace, mined in the secret place of silence. The passages regarding peace were a balm to the soul to read for one living in our age of anxiety, especially due to the current ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Written mostly in short one - two page meditations, They Speak By Silences was easy to read and served almost as a quick daily devotional. A few of my favorite quotes that I spent time meditating upon and reflecting included the following:

"A soul who sees nothing but darkness but says to Him: 'My God, I see nothing; but, because you tell me that this darkness is your light, I believe it. Everything in me tells me the contrary, but I give up this "me" and listen to you rather than to it. I choose you and not it': such a soul puts God in His true place - the first." - A Carthusian (They Speak By Silences, pg. 18)

"We are so occupied with ourselves, with our own 'self'. This 'self' as we call it, in our spiritual life, is not our true and whole being; it is only a part, and the tiniest and least interesting part. This false and inferior self consists in the series of unimportant happenings which go to make up life... it is our age, the cut of our figure, our health, our success, our reputation - the reactions of our sensitive nature in the face of all these transitory things. Our true and whole self are these same circumstances, but viewed as part of Divine Love, and contributing to its realization. We are too much taken up with the first 'self', and when we suffer, we brood over our suffering, forgetting that this suffering can be the very means of supernatural joy in us. We appraise everything - persons, things and events - from the human point of view, which is so ephemeral and narrow. Our values should be God's eternal values. Then things would open out and become beautiful. It is this faith which is the very life of God within us. Then it is not 'we' who live, but the Eternal Father Who 'sends the Paraclete' to us, by Whose life we live." - A Carthusian (They Speak By Silences, pg. 92-93)

"If only we realized how we complicate life, when in reality it is so simple. All our troubles come from this: that we do not know how to seek God where He is. We seek Him far away, and all the while He is quite close to us. In Him we live, and move and have our being. This is true from the natural point of view, but above all from the supernatural. God is the soul of our soul: that is, the Principle that gives it life. It is there that we must seek Him, and it is there we shall find Him 'without end'. That is what the saints did. They kept themselves ante faciem Dei viventis... before the face of the living God... And it can be so with us, even in our busiest moments. It is not necessary to seek the stillness of a sanctuary or of our prie-Dieu. All we need to do is to make an act of faith and love: 'My God, I believe in you, and I love you': a simple movement in the depths of our soul that we call forth from time to time. That is true life." - A Carthusian (They Speak By Silences, pg. 94-95)

"It is quite true that the world seems in a very bad way. It is full of evil and hatred. How can we see live, where everything points the other way? We do not see it: we believe it. To believe is to see things in God's light; to leave everything to Him who says: 'Your bodily eyes and your reason see only evil, but this is superficial. At the bottom of everything is Love... Believe my word'... Here we have the profound secret of Christian serenity in the midst of the most painful trails, which are only passing, whereas the word of God is something eternal. - A Carthusian (They Speak By Silences, pg. 96-97)

Jesus, on the Cross, did not say: 'How weak and evil men are', but: Father, forgive them... And again: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Life is completely changed when, no matter the circumstances but especially in moments of great agony, we are able to say, Father. However, such faith is rare. As a rule, we see only the suffering, its cause and instruments, the means of getting rid of it, and so on... But when we ourselves have suffered, we begin to understand not only how much Jesus suffered (and that is already very important), but how in His suffering His gaze went far beyond the suffering and saw only the Father Whom it was glorifying. - A Carthusian (They Speak By Silences, pg. 105)

[Maximilian Nightingale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Not obviously organized and yet all relevant to the spiritual life. Especially helpful were the comments on sorrow and suffering.

[William Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you want to run away to a Carthusian Charterhouse (which was the precise temptation of St. John Vianney!).

Very profound spirituality, combined with a poignant understanding of human psychology.

A small book, but because of its depth I used it for quite a long time as subject of meditation. Another great book by a (nameless) monk, similar in some ways to The Prayer of Love and Silence (a must-read!).

[Mpho3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars is not a recommendation. This spoke to me, no pun intended, because of some things I am going through. That is all.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book and something that really needs to be read not just once but twice to really understand the depths of the spiritual life that are being opened to us through these pages.

[Camden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with a profound but with monastic simplicity.

[Rosie Gearhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful before-bed readings. I will be reading this again in the future.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some insightful points on relationships and faith.