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The Power of Silence  By  cover art

The Power of Silence

By: Robert Cardinal Sarah,Nicolas Diat,Michael J. Miller - translator
Narrated by: Peter Lawrence
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Publisher's summary

In a time when technology penetrates our lives in so many ways and materialism exerts such a powerful influence over us, Robert Cardinal Sarah presents a bold book about the strength of silence. The modern world generates so much noise, he says, that seeking moments of silence has become both harder and more necessary than ever before.

Silence is the indispensable doorway to the divine, explains the cardinal in this profound conversation with Nicolas Diat. Within the hushed and hallowed walls of the La Grande Chartreuse, the famous Carthusian monastery in the French Alps, Cardinal Sarah addresses the following questions: Can those who do not know silence ever attain truth, beauty, or love? Do not wisdom, artistic vision, and devotion spring from silence, where the voice of God is heard in the depths of the human heart?

After the international success of God or Nothing, Cardinal Sarah seeks to restore to silence its place of honor and importance. "Silence is more important than any other human work," he says, "for it expresses God. The true revolution comes from silence; it leads us toward God and others so as to place ourselves humbly and generously at their service."

©2018 Robert Cardinal Sarah and Nicolas Diat (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Power of Silence

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Life-changing book, Good narration

Cardinal Sarah did not write this book to launch himself on the lecture circuit, to promote his career, or to be memorialized by pithy quotations. He wrote it to change lives.

I felt a little embarrassed purchasing this title as an audiobook, but it became clear right away that by "silence" Cardinal Sarah does not mean the absence of sound, but communion with the being of God. Granted, that must often begin in a setting where sound, both the external and internal sounds of frenetic human activity, are absent. But the silence can, and should, perdure beyond the monstrance, beyond the crucifix, beyond the icon and into our daily lives.

The narrator for the audiobook was satisfactory, though he seemed compelled to cast every word as if it were oracular. Even so, it is not so tedious that one should avoid acquiring the audiobook.

I hope you listen to or read this book. I hope you find it as worthwhile as I have.

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47 people found this helpful

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A must read

This is one of the 5 best books I have "read" in my lifetime. It is a must for every home library. You need to listen to or read it slowly with pauses for reflection. Cardinal Sarah has done an amazing job. I finished it last night and I just restarted it. (I had to rate the "story" or it wouldn't post the review. There is no "story. ITS KNOWLEDGE BEING FED TO US IN DIGESTIBLE BTS BY A MASTER THEOLOGIAN

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28 people found this helpful

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Worthy of re-reading many times over a lifetime

Cardinal Sarah gently guides us into deep reflection about silence in our lives. He improved my understanding of the need for more silence in my life by identifying many forms of noise in our lives today. This book cannot be simply dismissed as idealistic for a time before the age of smart phones and internet, or relevant only to those in cloisters and monasteries. There are substantive lessons to reflect on regardless of our state in life or vocation. Anyone who wants to grow in their prayer life and relationship with God, should have this book.

The audio was read a little fast for me, but audible allowed me to reduce the speed to 0.75. This enabled a more reflective listening.

I took my time with this, listening as I did work. There were times something was so profound, I stopped and went back to listen to it another 2-3 times.

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I think I am the only one in the world that hated this book

I found this book surprisingly trite. There were parts that were good, but I was very surprised with Cardinal Sarah's use of glowing quotes from Fr. Thomas Merton's works. Look, he lived a very bad life, before and after his entrance into Gethsemane! Why do these clerics love this man? This book read like a book a politician puts out before he runs for public office. Not impressed. I am a layperson and a mother of ten with very little silence in my life. This book made me feel like holiness is not for the likes of us. Only people who live in silent monasteries can be holy. That is false! Holiness is for everyone in every walk of life.

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12 people found this helpful

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Beautiful Truth in our Noisy World

This book has really pushed me to think differently about how critical silence is for our relationship with God. Please read and share this book and please make time for silence in your life to hear and contemplate God.
Excellent Book!!!!

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10 people found this helpful

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A Great Work

Cardinal Sarah's explaination of the Church's gift of contemplative spirituality was most instructive, easy to understand, and deeply profound. I greatly appreciate the effort he has made to put this into writing and for making the case for the need more than ever for Christians to sit and experience God.

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7 people found this helpful

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Transformative

This book is by far the absolute best book I've ever listened to on Audible. It is for everyone. Genuine silence in God's Presence is the greatest need of people today. May God use it to bring deep and life giving spirituality back to the church.

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Second Book Of Trilogy Lives Up To The Hype

I wish more Catholics (both lay and religious) would come into contact with this book and Cardinal Sarah, but more importantly see the importance of silence and seeking interior silence in order to find the very heart of God. Cardinal Sarah has challenged me to strive for this interior silence searching for a more contemplative life. The Church without a doubt needs more of Cardinal Sarah.

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Very good!

The words led me to seek silence which immediately bore fruit. It also brought to my attention the many times we have the opportunity to silently be with the Lord.

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Fantastic.

This book is absolutely fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned a great deal from Cardinal Sarah. This book is a great help on my spiritual journey.

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