Embracing Silence

It is Palm Sunday and there is only one week left of Lent! I pray that all of you have had a grace-filled Lent and find yourselves closer to the Lord through sacrifice and prayer. Speaking of prayer, this week I wanted to discuss silence.

In today’s world, silence is undervalued and sometimes hard to find. I found myself frustrated the other day when I fueled up my vehicle and the gas pump was even playing advertisements. As our world becomes more and more inundated with technology, accessibility, and immediate gratification, the amount of silence in our lives shrinks.

I believe this is one of the reasons anxiety has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. Fear of missing out, constant availability via smartphone, and never ending entertainment at our fingertips are just a few things that have become a part of daily life for most people. If you do not have any silence in your life, I would encourage you to try a few different things. Driving with the radio off is a good way to start. Maybe try praying in a quiet part of your house and leave your phone in a different part of the house where you cannot hear it buzzing or beeping.

If we do not take time for silence and we are constantly distracted, we lose our connection with God and with ourselves. It is often in the silence that we come to know God and ourselves. During this last week of Lent, consider making time for silence so that you can be better prepared to take in all that God has in store for you as we celebrate the Paschal Mystery.