by Sr Nunother 

A favorite song of mine as a teenager was Simon and Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence.  I think of that phrase sometimes when alone in our church.  Its basilica design, mosaic floor, stone walls and column-lined nave join to produce an ideal acoustic.  The silence itself is vibrant and alive, as if anticipating a beautiful solo, well-spoken scripture or the simple footsteps of worshipers.  Even when rain drops splash the clerestory windows or rattle against the slate roof, the silence maintains its integrity and invites me in.  I set aside intruding thoughts and listen.