5. Like a voice crying out in the desert

[Manuel]

Why seek silence? Can we review the origins of the desire for silence?
How could it be possible to discover oneself in the midst of noise?
Can we speak about a silent God?
Is silence God in us?
Can we speak about a spiral of silence?
The more we reflect on silence, the less we understand. Who has ever understood love?

[Manuel]

In Part V, Nicolas Diat asks this -somewhat repetitive- question:
How can a Carthusian understand the unfathomable mystery of God’s silence, given the atrocities that are committed every day right before our eyes? In Iraq and Syria, children are mutilated, violated, sold, reduced to slavery, crucified, and God does not say a word?

Dysmas de Lassus, Carthusian General, answers:
May I first broaden the question? The current genocide of babies with Down Syndrome in the West is no less tragic, and I am not sure that it is less barbaric; it is only less visible.

I would make the question even broader. Why speak just about the genocide of babies with Down Syndrome rather than the genocide of babies in all abortions? What our civilization is doing with abortions is the largest massacre that has ever been performed in the history of mankind. It is also an ideological massacre that goes against science. These atheists who are always bragging that that have science in their favor, disregard it when they find it goes against them. Here are three posts about this in my blog:
This is what science says about human life
The slaughter of the innocents
Ideology and contempt for science

[Manuel]

Near the end of Part V, my edition says:
The expression “continual prayer” should not mislead us: it does mean saying prayers without stopping. Actually, this expression refers to a way of being with God ceaselessly, of letting him dwell within us, of consciously experiencing this indwelling.

I think there is a typo here. It should say this:
The expression “continual prayer” should not mislead us: it does NOT mean saying prayers without stopping. Actually, this expression refers to a way of being with God ceaselessly, of letting him dwell within us, of consciously experiencing this indwelling.

What does it say in your edition of the book?

[Jesús]

Kindle Spanish version - ISBN: 978-84-9061-533-1 - says:

"La expresión oración constante no debe inducirnos a error: no se trata de recitar oraciones sin parar. En realidad, esta fórmula se refiere a un modo de estar continuamente junto a Dios, de dejarse habitar por Él, de vivir de un modo consciente esa inhabitación."

[Manuel]

Jesús wrote: ""Manuel wrote: What does it say in your edition of the book?

Kindle Spanish version - ISBN: 978-84-9061-533-1 - says:

"La expresión oración constante no debe inducirnos a error: no se trata de ..."

That's what I thought. Thank you.

[Jill]

It would have been nice to be introduced to Dysmas before he suddenly appears in the text.
The message from the victim about to die in the gas chamber to pray for his tormentors is enormously powerful.
I wonder in practice how the Cardinal handles "inculturation" in Africa. I think African liturgies are powerful for the whole Church.

I like the image (Francis de Sales') of buttoning your lips so you have to "unbutton" them before speaking and thus think about what you are about to say.