“In the first place, silence is a great means of acquiring the spirit of prayer, and of disposing the soul to converse continually with God.  We rarely find a spiritual soul that speaks much.  All souls of prayer are lovers of silence that is called the guardian of innocence, the shield against temptations, and the fountain of prayer.  For by silence devotion is preserved, and in silence good thoughts spring up in the soul.”

St. Alphonsus (c. 1755)