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Articles
The Invitation to
Silence
by Carol
Tapia
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I believe that to each his own method of
prayer and praise. For me, the main appeal of the Regina
Rosarii Center for Contemplative Prayer is its immersion
and devotion to silence. Silence, according to Thomas
Moore in his book The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life,
is not the absence of sound but rather a shifting of attention
towards sound that speak to a soul. We as contemplatives
know that chants and praises helps in our journey towards
communion of our soul with the Divine. |
However, these sounds are just the beginning of the union
and the union will progress to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
These practices lead to the awakening of the power within
us. They connect our consciousness with the depth of our being
and here we find the Divine. Thus, these sounds, however desirable
they are to the practice of contemplative prayer, are just
instruments to the real goal which is communion with God.
And communion with God is pure silence. God spoke to Elijah
not through the strong winds, thunder or fire, but through
a gentle breeze, almost a whisper. Elijah (and ultimately
us) would not have been able to hear this voice lest he was
silent. Therefore, silence is needed not only to keep us away
from noise but to reorient us so we can focus on the sounds
or voices around us. It should be said that being silent is
not a passive activity. Contemplatives know that it is a very
hard task and certain skills are needed to drown our loud
thoughts; to quiet our pounding and restless hearts and to
tame our wild imaginations. In our contemplative sits, silence
and listening go hand in hand.
Thomas Moore in the same book suggests that silence is a requisite
for personal divination, for living with a sense of direction.
Just as Yahweh whispered to Elijah on how to proceed, silence
can give us direction on how to lead our lives. Only in silence
can we hear the daimonic voices saying, “Not that path”
instead “This way”. It should be reiterated often
that these voices speak as softly as a leaf falling from a
tree, almost insignificant and generally, they do not repeat
themselves. So we have to have a keen sense of God’s
presence
in our lives. I believe that although it is difficult, it
gets better as we progress in our contemplative path. For
as we bravely live the contemplative lifestyle, God will give
us the grace of wisdom and intuition.
Finally, the Regina Rosarii Center offers us a sanctuary away
from the noise and busyness of our lives. For two hours a
week, we find time and be in communion with our Beloved. Such
great gift should be shared to others. For silence, although
it has been a luxury in today’s living, is an essential
part of the well being of a person. Silence is also our gift
to God as it is His gift to us. 1 Peter 3:4 reminds us “Instead,
your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest
value in God’s sight”.
Starting afresh,
see where the spirit leads us
This document is the final output of the Founding Chapter
of the Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii participated in
by the sisters and the representatives of their lay partner,
the Regina Rosarii Contemplative Association (ROCA). The title
is taken from Starting Afresh From Christ: A Renewed Commitment
to Consecrated Life in the Third Millennium, the new Instruction
of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic Life as approved by Pope John Paul
II.
Gathered together by the grace of God, and bonded by our
love for Jesus, Friend of the Poor and Healer of the Broken
and our commitment to live as contemplative witnesses in the
world today, we the Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii, (OP
Regina) joined by our lay partners, Regina Rosarii Contemplative
Association (ROCA) on the occasion of our Founding Chapter,
discerned the invitations of the Spirit to start afresh…..
We commit ourselves to:
| a. |
Pray and work hard so that our Dominican
Sisters of Regina Rosarii Congregation will be recognized
as a Public Association of Christ’s Faithful, by
completing all the necessary documents, such as our constitutions,
formation manual and others |
| b. |
Nurture our contemplative spirit by developing a rhythm
of prayer life that includes: contemplative prayer, liturgy
of the hours, Lectio divina, Eucharistic celebration,
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and silence, especially
during retreats, recollection and Lectio divina days. |
| c. |
Prepare our young OP Regina community to invite and
accept candidates by providing the mechanisms, programs
and structures, including vocation promotions, manual
of formation, erection of a novitiate and training of
formators |
| d. |
Launch Project SacredSpace that serves as our primary
means of promoting contemplative lifestyle to the world
today through the use of radio, magazine, online magazine,
cellphone, podcasting and a school for contemplation |
| e. |
Strengthen the Regina Rosarii Contemplative Association
(ROCA) as shareholder of mission and charism |
| f. |
Facilitate the transformation of the Regina Rosarii
Contemplative Group of Tagum into a chapter of ROCA, with
their own place for sitting and a plan for shepherding |
| g. |
Create strategies and structures to make OP Regina financially
sustainable through a development office, sound financial
management and improvement of the Regina Rosarii Products |
| h. |
Launch Club 513 as our main instrument in raising the
amount necessary to purchase the property for the use
of the Regina Rosarri Center for Contemplative Prayer |
We also resolve to
| a. |
Help all our satellite communities in Pampanga,
Tayuman and Intramuros to become chapters of ROCA. |
| b. |
Ensure that our contemplative spirit be enhanced with
Lectio Divina, researches and daily contemplative prayer |
| c. |
Endeavor that the congregation will be recognized by
such groups as AMRSP, AMRSWP, DVP, PART, AWFP, DFLCP,
DFCP, and be listed in the Catholic Director of the Philippines |
| d. |
Ensure that the OP Regina community will develop the
habit of practicing the following: monthly meeting, monthly
recollection, weekly community day, annual retreat |
| e. |
Allow each perpetually professed Sister a yearly vacation
for a maximum of two weeks, the mechanics of which are
detailed in the guidelines for vacations |
Having received the consent of the chapter, we strive to
implement the following:
| a. |
That the congregation provides programs
to nurture the vocation of the OP Regina Sisters and update
them in their ministries, such as summer courses and enrolment
in the Preachers’ Institute |
| b. |
That the OP Regina Sisters will continue to own, understand
and live the charism and vision-mission of our congregation
by reading the Constitution at least once a week, having
a monthly review of life based on the charism, and memorizing
the vision-mission statement of the congregation |
| c. |
That the OP Regina Sisters will have sessions on learning
new ways of chanting and praying |
| d. |
That each OP Regina Sister will have monthly sessions
with her confessor and a regular session with her spiritual
director |
| e. |
That the OP Regina Community will include in its review
of life, assessment of leadership based on the values
found in our constitution |
Finally, we hereby promulgate, during this chapter the Constitutions
of the Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii.
Under the able leadership of our newly elected Supreme Moderator,
Sr. Epifania Brasil, OP, we commit ourselves to journey together
as we move on to become Salt of the Earth, few but felt.
And may our founder, St. Dominic and Mary, Regina Rosarii
inspire us to remain faithful to our vocation and mission
to live as contemplative witnesses in the world today.
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