I’m going away for silence and prayer this weekend.
“Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In order to hear that language, we must learn to be still and to rest in God.” -Thomas Keating
“After sending them home, He went up into the hills by himself to pray.” Matthew 14:23My first experience in prolonged silence was at Mount St. Joseph Abbey in Roscrea, Ireland. At the end of a hard season, God healed my heart, put peace in place of my unrest and gave me unconditional love in place of guilt. I left changed. And free.
Since then, I’ve placed days of silence into my regular spiritual rhythm. And because I don’t wait until burn-out before I withdraw for prayer, I get the benefit of going to God for more than healing. I now can sit in silence and return His love, align my heart, and listen for direction.
I’ll be staying at The Hermitage in Three Rivers, MI this weekend, and as I still my soul, I will begin by remembering the gift of Ireland.
Also, for the record, even in silence and healing, playfulness is allowed. Notice us sneaking out of our monastic dorm rooms and onto the roof? You didn’t think I became a totally different person in silence, did you? Oh, the beauty of an integrated life.
“Let me rest in Your will and be silent. Then the light of Your joy will warm my life. Its fire will burn in my heart and shine for Your glory. This is what I live for. Amen, amen.” -Thomas Merton
Want to see more of my time in Ireland? The beauty is beyond spectacular. Check it out here.
