Silentium

The Moment we allow anything outside, any external interest or object to absorb our attention and distract our attention from that to which God desires us to attend, we infringe silence.  Silence is recollection as applied to the faculty of speech.  It means the restriction of all unnecesssary converse with men in order to allow our mind to converse more uninterruptedly with God.  It makes prayer easy, and is a safeguard which preserves devotion and spiritual sweetness from being dissipated. - Listening to the Indwelling Presence

(photo side altar in the Martyr's Shrine, Midland, Ontario, Canada)