12 • Call 1.800.348.4732 The projects: A sampling Like spiritual archeologists, the participants delved into the subject to discover new insights. Their out- put — papers, podcasts, retreats, apps, a children’s guide — demonstrate some of the creative ways they gave expression to their findings. All signed up for MSP 2.0 for a variety of reasons, yet, like true schol- ars, they committed to the study without precon- ceived ideas of what they would discover. Lay Marianists Tony and Beth Garascia dove into the program for several reasons. Both were familiar with The Five Silences, but wanted to go deeper. “The Silences are a way of quieting your senses so you can be present to God,” says Tony. “That’s how Chaminade meant for them to be used. He also wanted them to be useful for prayer and motivating people to take action in the world.” Tony’s project compared the similarities and dif- ferences between Chaminade’s Five Silences with an exhortation by Pope Francis called “The Joy of the Gospel.” His paper explored what both had to say, “especially about walking with people who are suf- fering,” says Tony. Beth took a more personal approach: By practicing the Silences, she was able to get in touch with the broken parts of herself. “My project is a paper about how The Silences help us acknowledge our wound- edness and call us to be more compassionate toward others on the journey,” she says. Like the Garascias, Marianist Father Tom Schroer had been longing to go deeper into the subject of The Silences and Marianist spirituality. “It’s been on my bucket list,” he says. “I wanted to write a paper about how prac- ticing the Silences helps quiet the mind and tame the Father Tom Schroer, SM, pastor of Queen of Apostles parish, with parishioners Valarie and Jerry Weisbecker WHAT ARE THE FIVE SILENCES? Father Chaminade wanted all Marianists to be formed by the same spirituality. He believed that one could recognize Marianists by their attitude, temperament and character — a way of being in the world. To cultivate this Marianist identity, Chaminade created a set of disciplines or System of Virtues. Incorporated in these virtues are The Five Silences, exercises that enable people — consciously and through practice — to silence their senses and awaken to the transforming presence of God — in short, to become more like Jesus. Marianist scholars have written extensively about The Five Silences. Here are some working definitions: • Silence of words is paying attention to the language we use in our daily lives, especially words that enlighten, inspire or encourage. It means knowing when to remain silent and when to speak — taking a stand for what is right and good. • Silence of signs is evident in nonverbal cues — facial expressions, gestures, body language, even how we dress — that communicate our attitudes and biases. It also is about the gift of attention, being fully present to others and recognizing when we are distracted. • Silence of the mind is the practice of filling our minds with life-giving thoughts and memories and letting go of those that cripple us. • Silence of imagination helps us dream dreams and reconfigure the possibilities for ourselves and our world, or to quiet dreams and expectations that might be too small or destructive. • Silence of passions involves identifying feelings and the energies they evoke. Being in touch with our feelings enables us to express them in loving ways, or let them dissipate if they can cause harm. For suggested reading, see page 15.