I don’t remember where I first heard this line from 1 Kings—whether at Mass or in prayer—but a phrase struck me:
“The sound of sheer silence.” (1 Kings 19:12)
At first, it seems almost contradictory. The sound of silence? Like the taste of nothingness.
But do we hear silence?
Not in the way we hear noise, but we experience it. The absence of chatter, of notifications, of ringtones and background hum. True silence is rare, even unnatural to many of us today.
There was a time when silence was the norm. No artificial sounds, no endless streams of digital conversation. Just voices and nature. But now, we fill every moment—scrolling, streaming, consuming—leaving little room for silence.
And yet, it was in sheer silence that Elijah encountered God.
Maybe that’s why silence is so uncomfortable. Because when the noise fades, we are left with ourselves—and with Him.
It’s a lost treasure, one worth reclaiming. So today, let’s make space for silence. Not just an absence of sound, but an opening for God to speak.
Because sometimes, His voice is found in the quiet we’ve forgotten to seek.