Absolute quiet is prescribed at many points in the Roman Missal but sacred stillness that surfaces spontaneously in prayer is more precious than any other “Too many notes”, says the emperor to a bemused Mozart in the film Amadeus. “Too many words”, complain the liturgists. “Too much noise”, goes a sentiment heard around the globe. The advocates of silence have a hard time in a world saturated with sound. Ceaseless twittering, relentless entertainment and compulsive communication can all but eliminate silence. The uttering of a single word can damage or repair a relationship, it can destroy or encourage a person’s confidence, it can hurt or heal emotions. Likewise, silence can work both ways: there is the sullen, resentful silence which can make c