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I have become more and more aware of the presence of God in my life over the past couple years. This is one of the most valuable lessons I learned during my time in seminary; to be aware of the Lord’s small and quiet movements that would go unnoticed if I were not in tune with how the Lord speaks.

The other night I had such a moment with God. I was leaving my fiance’s apartment to head home and I was just feeling so thankful for all the Lord has done in my life and what he continues to do. I walked outside and fresh snow was falling, the kind that crackles  under your feet. I looked up and felt the presence of God in such a real and tangible way. It was as if the world stopped and I was able to enter into the silence of my heart with the Lover of my Soul.

Moments like these do not happen all the time, but they do happen. Often, I am just too busy or distracted to hear the silence. In today’s Gospel, Jesus implores us not to babble like the pagans who think they will be heard because of their many words. All throughout Lent we are told to pray in silence and to fast without boasting. These phrases have largely come to mean that we should be humble in our prayer, but I think there is a deep richness that we miss if we reduce
them solely to humility.

Most of the mystics we encounter in our great Catholic tradition speak of the importance of silence, and not just passive quiet, but active attention to the dynamic spiritual forces all around us drawing us deeper into the divine.

St. Mother Teresa said, “We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

As we journey through this time of spiritual renewal, take a second to stop reading this blog and start paying attention to the silent ways God is working in your life. Whenever you encounter a moment of quiet and calm in your day today, simply pray Come Holy Spirit. As you do, sit with whatever the Lord has to tell you in this moment. Sit with the assurance that you are loved as a Son or Daughter of God. You might just be shocked by the simple yet profound voice that you
hear in the silence.

As a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan, Tommy is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage.  He has worked for years in various, youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. As an expert on Catholic communication, Tommy uses his parish and diocesan experiences to help you make your ministry effective. To bring Tommy to your parish or for general inquiry, contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com or find him online at www.rodzinkaministry.com.