Solitude and Silence: Ambrose of Milan: Silence Before God

Ambrose of Milan (d. 397) taught that silence before God is not emptiness but fullness. In "On the Duties of the Clergy" he wrote: "Let no one think that there is little merit in bridling the tongue and restraining the speech. For the wise man has said, 'The tongue of the wise is known for its restraint.' But silence is also an art, for the Psalmist says, 'I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence; I held my peace even from good.'"

Ambrose connected silence to integrity: the person who can control their speech can control their life. He taught that silence is not the absence of words but the presence of attentiveness -- to God, to others, to the movements of one's own heart.

Practical application: Choose one hour this week to practice complete silence. Do not speak, text, or write during that hour. Notice the urges to communicate that arise and simply let them pass. Ambrose teaches that this kind of voluntary silence builds the spiritual muscle of self-mastery and creates space for God to speak.