Abba Tithoes once said: "Pilgrimage means that a man should control his tongue." The expression "To be on pilgrimage is to be silent" ("peregrinatio est tacere") expresses the conviction of the Desert Fathers that silence is the best anticipation of the future world. The most frequent argument for silence is simply that words lead to sin. Not speaking, therefore, is the most obvious way to stay away from sin.
— Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Dance of Life by Henri J. M. Nouwen, Michael Ford