Silence

December 11, 2018

A Friday Night Talk by John Kozakowski,
36 Year Retreatant, 

A few days ago I said to my friend and spiritual advisor…”I don’t think God hears me, and I don’t know what He wants me to do!”

My friend said to me: “John…Go home and say: God can you hear me?…What do you want me to do?”

So I went home and said: “God can you hear me?…What do you want me to do?”

Just then the mailman came and delivered some packages, some bills, and some circulars. After I finished dealing with them I said again: “God can you hear me?…What do you want me to do?”

Then my cell phone rang..,and after handling my call I hung up my cell phone and I said once more: “God can you hear me?…What do you want me to do?”

Then I heard God voice and He said: ”John…FOR THE THIRD TIME, I hear you, and I want you to talk with Me!”.

Men, God always is ALWAYS ready to hear us and talk with us, but we must remove the distractions that crowd Him out and drown out His voice! We must be SILENT!

We have all come here this weekend for a reason.

Your reasons for coming to Malvern are unique.
 Maybe you came to receive the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation
 Maybe you came to pray for personal and special intentions
 Maybe you came seeking spiritual guidance and refreshment
 Maybe you came to retreat from the rigors of everyday life, and properly prepare for the birth of Jesus
 Maybe you came for all of these, or for other reasons…
Regardless of why you came…you came!

I ask that all of you look around this dining room for a few seconds…

Yes…We have come together for this retreat weekend as a group…yet we came with individual needs and the need to hear God’s voice.

Every one of us has the implicit responsibility to allow every man in this room the opportunity to “be available” to hear God’s voice.

And they can’t hear God’s voice if there is not SILENCE.

You may not know why each man in this room is here, but you must be mindful that there must be SILENCE for each man to hear God’s voice.

My humble request is that we all take a pledge, a contract if you will, to maintain our SILENCE and to lead by example! I especially ask that you pay particular attention to maintain SILENCE inside the Chapels, outside the Chapels, in the Libraries, and near the Oratories.

So you may ask, Koz, where can we go to talk…to not be silent?

The answer:
 Lower McShain…this Dining Room…and the Gift Shop.

I pledge to all of you that I will maintain my SILENCE. I ask that you all join me in that pledge and, if you accept the pledge to maintain the SILENCE, to please STAND with me!

I thank you for listening. I pray that each of you hears God’s voice, and has a great retreat! Prosit!