In communal, shared silence and stillness, we “accept in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and unite our personal prayer more closely to the Word of God and the public voice of the Church.” (John Paul II, Spiritus et Sponsa, 13,2004)

During liturgical silence, under the action of the Holy Spirit, all respond in their own way, recollecting themselves, pondering what has been heard, taking the word of God to heart, preparing a response to it in prayer, petitioning and praising God in their inmost spirit. In the silence the liturgy moves forward as one part flows to the next. Silent reflection and contemplation, such as this, is part of the essential dynamic of active participation in the liturgy. (www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/Preparation/Silence.shtml)