A few weeks ago I was frazzled by everyday life. With a teenager, two preteens, and a Kindergartener in the house, things are a little wild at times! I had missed my morning time with the Lord and I had a million things I had wanted to accomplish. Yet, I knew I needed to give God a few minutes. So, I put the teenager in charge and I departed for a brief walk.
Just trying to survive the morning, I had not even slowed enough to read the Gospel for the day. So, I pulled up the Gospel from the previous day, reread the few lines that had spoken to me (usually a few words or sentences will grab your attention when you read) and meditated (really just a fancy way of saying I thought about each word in the silence) word by word as I walked.
I needed the movement and the silence. I needed to be fed by God and His word. I was able to hear Our Lord’s whisper through His written words. There was deeper meaning in those words that my heart yearned to hear that day. My soul was lifted up so I could better serve my people.
The practice of silence is so foreign to us in this high-tech, busy, commitment laden world. We hear the storm all around us roaring so loudly that God’s tiny, guiding whisper seems inaudible. According to Jeremiah, in 1 Kings 19, God was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire but in the whisper in the silence. How easily we forget to focus on Him. Being present to God in silence seems impossible.
Carving out some quiet in your day to be with our Lord is invaluable. I hear you sister! You say the challenge is so great. You have 4 small children, a part time job, and a husband, not to mention the chores and duties that come with day to day life. And then there is COVID-19 as if you were not worn enough already. I get it sister, but let me tell you the pay off is tremendous.
Our Lord only asks for a few moments here and there. And when we manage to give time to Him, the resulting peace and holy focus in our day is remarkable.
Call to Act: Let me encourage you to make an appointment with God. Actually write it in your planner, or tell a friend your plan. It can be the first moments of your day with a cup of coffee, a brief morning stroll, or the five minute gap between your first appointment or school drop off and the next thing on your list. Make it a quiet few moments. I began with three to five minutes and have built up from there.
Another good practice, that I find particularly helpful to bring my focus back to Our Lord, is having a short saying or bible quote that I can repeat through the day. I suggest you choose a quote that is a reminder of a virtue He is trying to build in you or words that remind you where He wants your attention focused right now. You may also find a verse that sums up your efforts and struggles. Make it brief and commit it to memory.
Whatever your season right now, carve out a few valuable moments of silence with Our Lord. Depending on the day the silence can wear on you like nails on a chalkboard or it can feel refreshing and freeing. It may cause you to wiggle at first, but settle in and just try to be. Listen to the lack of noise and let your heart settle on Him, the one who loves you and created you. He will fill you up. Your efforts will be greatly rewarded.
St. Anthony of Egypt, pray for us. Pray that we may be able to embrace the silence as busy women, mothers, and wives. Ask Our Lord to allow us to keep our eyes focused on Him and cherish the gift of silence in our noisy world. Beg the Lord to give us great peace and clarity in our moments of silence, bringing us to desire more silent time with him. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.
St. Anthony of Egypt
St. Anthony lived in solitude the majority of his life, after hearing a call to ‘sell all he had and give it to (the) poor’ (Mark 10: 21b). Leaving behind the comforts of this world and his inheritance at the age of twenty, he went to search out holy men and women and imitate their holiness. Wrestling with the devil his entire life, physically worn from resisting the devil’s attacks, he discerned to live in solitude in the desert in Egypt. His solitary lifestyle was attractive to many who traveled into the desert and sought his counsel. He offered comfort to the suffering and his intercession brought about numerous healings. Anthony later created a simple monastery of cells. He appreciated the fruits of prayer, mortification, and solitude. Fighting Arian heresy, nearing 90 years of age, he understood the importance of the truths of our beautiful Catholic faith. Read more about him here.
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=23
A flower budding in the silence on Mt. Mitchell in the cool morning dew.
So beautiful Sarah….
to all that are reading this… listen to Sarah’s wisdom! God is whispering to you too!