Monastic silence is not a virtue for its own sake but is cultivated as a way to open up a great empty space for God. I offer God a silent inner space into which God can speak his Word of Love, Jesus. Silence allows me to become like Mary, a womb for God. And as Thomas Merton insists, “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them…Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say, because I come to see who I am." And this leads me more deeply into contemplative love of God, for Love is one.