Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In today’s second reading, St. Paul tells us, “So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”
So, I ask, “How confident am I when I approach God…how confident am I that I receive both mercy and grace in my prayer time…that I feel his presence…that I hear Him?
God and His Spirit like to whisper. True, he speaks to us through others, but he does seem to like whispering. Jesus also knew the importance for quieting ourselves with his Father, and he showed us this in his life, as he spent numerous quiet times with his Father throughout the Gospels; especially before he had a major decision to make.
Spending quiet time alone with God is essential in aligning our hearts with His.
Here are a few practical ways for quieting ourselves so we might hear God’s whispers:
-Have your prayer space at home: A chair and a side table with a bible, a candle, a crucifix, maybe a rosary or other sacramental.
-Turn the phone off. Don’t put it on silence, you’ll still hear the buzz; turn it off.
-Invite the Holy Spirit in.
-Breathe - breathe in slowly paying attention to your body, heart, mind and spirit. Breathe in the Holy Spirit and breathe out your anxieties and worries.
And away from home:
-Spend time in Adoration listening for God.
-Spend time on a walk in nature, taking in the beauty of His creation and listening for Him.
-Go to mass early or stay after; sit and take in the stained-glass windows, the baptismal font, the statues, the stations, the altar, the candles, the scent of incense, the crucifix, and finally the tabernacle, with our Lord who awaits inside.
When we spend time in prayer and in silence with God, we are taking his outstretched hand and walking with him, trusting in his mercy and grace…knowing that he is leading us in the right direction.
Peace be with You.
Deacon David
