A Moment of Silence please: be still and know that I am God
A republished Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Ever wish you were alone for an evening? That you could just stop the maelstrom in your head and just relax? In this hectic world, wouldn't a walk by the ocean in the late afternoon when crowds begin to thin out, be just the thing to relax you? Yes, I've been there, done that. Long before retirement I worked for an international airline, working long, strenuous hours, listening to unkind people at airline counters, people whose personal panic due to business or family stress was so great that they needed a scapegoat and often that scapegoat was the poor airline ticket agent or stewardess. People like that exist all over the world. They come in all cultures and languages. And why shouldn't they? They are all human. Humans have a breaking point and when the pressure is too intense, they say things they probably don't mean to people they don't even know. I've done it myself, to others. It is then that time is needed to regenerate, to let God in on your problem, and to pray.
Then step back, and find some moments of silence. Silence is a great healer. In Eccl. 3:2-9, there is a time for everything. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace."
If we try to do everything at once, we're going to burst. A person's mind, advanced as it is, and a wonderful gift of God, still has its limitations. Not everyone is super organized, time driven, goal oriented. Those who are not, suffer in the corporate environment of today. You add to that mix the socializing, business lunches, dinners, then you will see that there is little time for silence, the silence we need to sort it all out. The silence we need to find out what it all means. The silence we need to hear the voice of God!
Sometimes when we do finally hear the voice of God, and listen, we hear Him calling. We know He searches us out. He loves us so deeply and we never realized it. What do we know about silence? At Holy Mass, the priest often sits down after Holy Communion to make a silent Thanksgiving. We should too, before we head out into the world. When he sits there just a bit longer than he normally does, people in the congregation begin to fidget. It wouldn't surprise me if one of these days, they'd snap their fingers... well, probably not. We are so time oriented; don't we have one extra moment of silence for Jesus?
Our response to God is so narrow, so uninterested sometimes. He ought to be at the center of our lives, but He often is not. We run around every day for this cause or that, but do we make time for God? I don't know about you, but I know I need to be with Him more often. What would Jesus do? What should I do to emulate Him? Does His example show in my actions? Well, not always. In your spiritual life, it is necessary to think about God more often, but also to spend some time in silence. Your prayer life intertwines in and out of everything you do. We feel God's presence in our lives when we accept Him as a partner in everything we undertake and especially if we know that without His presence there's little that will go right.
When you feel isolated, alone, even bored, turn to Him and let Him in. You will not feel isolated, bored or alone anymore. Being bored or idle is the devil's head cushion. The devil takes a hold of us when we are vulnerable and hurt. That's the time to dwell on the goodness of God and to tell the devil to go back where he belongs. Never, ever, muddle the differences between right and wrong. Never say "God understands me," and then do what is wrong. God does not condone evil. He only wishes happiness for us. God's dearest wish is that we will be spending all eternity with Him. We can, you know, if we listen to His Word and then act on that Word. Follow the teaching of Jesus Christ. Immerse yourself in things that are good. Shun evil, do not be tempted by it. It will only bring ruin.
Silence. “For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He only, is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (Ps. 62) And Ps. 46: 10 - "Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth!" A moment of silence, please, for Jesus Our Lord!
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Orig. bc88-2004, rev. 2023 (shortened)