Holy Week can be a time of profound silence. Expanding on this topic is our last Lenten Virtues author, Kyle Vermette: a Theology and Religious Studies major at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. SILENCE: using words when necessary, but essentially practicing your listening skills. Buzz buzz, beep beep, ring ring, and many other noises we may hear during our daily grind. Have you noticed that we our constantly surrounded by noise? How do we even think? How do we even pray? Throughout my Lenten journey, I have been very attentive to the noise I make and that surrounds me. The issue I noticed is sometimes like to hear my own voice for the sake of hearing it. Is it really necessary for me to input my opinion in every conversation? The answer is simple: no. As a society, I find that we have such a difficult time with just listening to each other. We are constantly thinking of our response to the person instead of listening attentively. I know for me, my biggest issue is I want to help, but what I do not realize is most of the time my friends only need me to listen. The difficulty of this realization is I am most likely making too much noise in my own life and even worse than that being noisy in my spiritual life. God is crying out to each one of us in the silence, but we aren’t even giving Him the time or day to be silent. We have become so immune to the noise we are making that when we do find silence, we become extremely comfortable. We need to embrace those uncomfortable moments of silence because it is the perfect time to just be still and listen to God. The questions our heart desires to know answers for could be answered in these moments. It is challenging but worth it. The CHALLENGE: I would like to give you a two in one challenge which I personally will apply in my daily life. Firstly, in a conversation that you have with someone during your day try to listen attentively to what that person is saying without thinking of how you would respond to the person. And secondly, turn off your car radio or any form of listening device while you head towards your destination for the day. In those moments, realize it is an opportunity for you to be with God in complete silence and a perfect chance to let Him speak to you.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 22:55:55 +0000