Be Still and Know: Entering the Silence of God Through Centering Prayer

I did not expect silence to be this full.

Like many, my experience of prayer for years was active—words spoken, Scripture reflected upon, intentions offered. Good, faithful, and necessary. But recently, I have found myself drawn into something quieter, deeper, and, at times, more unsettling: the practice of simply being with God. Not speaking. Not thinking. Just consenting.

This is the doorway through which I have begun to encounter Centering Prayer—and it is grounded, more than I realized, in a single, ancient invitation: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

That line has moved from something I once read to something I am now trying, however imperfectly, to live.

Be Still and Know

Centering Prayer is described as a receptive method of silent prayer that opens us to God’s presence within us—closer than breathing, closer than thinking. But what has struck me most is how deeply it embodies this Psalm. “Be still” is not a suggestion for quiet surroundings; it is an invitation to interior stillness. “Know” is not intellectual understanding; it is relationship, trust, and surrender. And “I am God” is the gentle but firm reminder that God is already present, already acting, already holding all things together—without my effort.

In a Benedictine sense, this is the heart of everything.

St. Benedict begins his Rule with a call to listen—“with the ear of your heart.” That kind of listening requires stillness. It requires a willingness to stop filling the space, to stop controlling the outcome, to stop striving long enough to allow God to speak—or, perhaps more truthfully, to allow ourselves to notice that God is already speaking. Centering Prayer has become, for me, a practice of returning to that Psalm again and again: be still… be still… be still.

Learning the Practice of Returning

As someone new to this practice, I am learning quickly that stillness is not easy. Thoughts come constantly. Distractions surface. Resistance appears in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But the invitation is not to eliminate these things—it is simply to return. Gently. Without judgment. To a sacred word, or even just to the intention behind the Psalm: to be still and to trust that God is present.

It is a practice of humility. A practice of conversion of heart. A practice of beginning again.

A Living Tradition at the Monastery

At St. Paul’s Monastery, this contemplative way is not theoretical—it is part of the living tradition of the Sisters. Sister Virginia Matter, OSB, has been instrumental in cultivating this depth of prayer through her work in Centering Prayer, spiritual direction, and her deep connection with the Minnesota Contemplative Prayer Outreach community.

Through her leadership and the wider contemplative community, countless individuals have been invited into this same stillness—not as escape from the world, but as a deeper engagement with it.

Because when we become still, we begin to see differently.

A Summer Evening of Stillness

I experienced that in a new way this past summer during a Centering Prayer “pop-up” on the Monastery grounds. Gathered around the statue of St. Benedict, we sat together in silence—no agenda, no complications, just presence. The natural world carried on around us: wind in the trees, birdsong, the quiet rhythm of evening. And in that space, Psalm 46:10 felt less like Scripture to be interpreted and more like a reality to be entered.

Be still.

And in that stillness, there was a subtle but unmistakable awareness: God was already there. Not waiting to be invited. Not dependent on our words. Simply present.

Living Benedictine Values Through Prayer

This is where Benedictine values come alive in a new way. Stability becomes not just staying in one place, but remaining present to the moment. Hospitality becomes not just welcoming others, but welcoming whatever arises within us—thoughts, emotions, distractions—with gentleness. Prayer becomes not just something we do at certain times, but a posture we carry.

Alongside Centering Prayer, I practice lectio divina and very recently the Welcoming Prayer—each deepening this same invitation in different ways. Lectio divina roots me in the Word, inviting me to listen attentively to Scripture and respond. The Welcoming Prayer stretches me further, asking me to “be still” not only in silence, but in the midst of daily life—especially when discomfort, frustration, or fear arise. It invites me to welcome those moments rather than resist them, trusting that God is present there, too.

A Rhythm That Shapes Life

Together, these practices form a rhythm. They are shaping in me a different way of seeing and being—a slower, more attentive, more grounded way of living. A Benedictine way.

What I am beginning to understand is that “Be still, and know that I am God” is not just about prayer time. It is about life. It is about learning, moment by moment, to release control, to trust God’s presence, and to remain attentive to what is unfolding.

And the fruits, I am told, are not found in the silence itself, but in what follows. Am I more patient? More present? More compassionate? Am I listening more deeply—to others, to the world, to God?

An Invitation to Go Deeper

I am at the very beginning of this journey. Some days, stillness feels like rest. Other days, it feels like resistance. But I keep returning—to the silence, to the sacred word, to the Psalm.

Because something in me knows that this is not just a practice.

It is an invitation.

If you find yourself longing for that same depth—for a way to truly be still and to know God more intimately—I invite you to take a next step. The Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery offers workshops, retreats, and spiritual direction with trained guides, many of whom are deeply formed in contemplative practices like Centering Prayer, lectio divina, and the Welcoming Prayer.

You do not have to learn this stillness on your own.

Consider engaging a spiritual director—someone who can walk with you, help you recognize God’s presence in your life, and gently cultivate this practice of listening. In a world full of noise, this ancient invitation may be exactly what our hearts are seeking:

Be still.
And know that God is already here.

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Don’t Miss These Opportunities with the Benedictine Center

• Evenings of Contemplative Fellowship: Every 2nd Wednesday
• What is Spiritual Direction Intro Sessions: April 20 and May 18, 2026
• Centering Prayer & Lectio Divina Retreat with Gwen Pickering and Laurie Erickson: April 24-26, 2026

And opportunities with friends of the Benedictine Center

• First Things: Morning Centering Prayer for Peace with Minnesota Contemplative Outreach (daily at 7:00am)
• Morning Centering Prayer with Loyola Spirituality Center (Thursdays at 8:00am)
• Thursday Evening Centering Prayer with the Minnesota Contemplative Outreach
• Evening Examen with Loyola Spirituality Center (Thursdays at 8:00pm)
• 2027 10-Day Retreat presented by ​Contemplative Outreach Colorado, Snowmass at St. Paul’s Monastery