To the mountains!

A dear friend called asking if I would accompany him and two priests from Africa into the mountains for a few days.

I said sure, first for the joy of meeting brother priests from elsewhere in the world.

To listen and learn.

To pray with them.

Then, because deep in the mountains there is a special stillness and beauty.

A divine silence.

There is so much noise everywhere these days: traffic, piped in music, cell phones, tv, radio, mp3 players, unending information.

Noise disturbs.

External noise distracts and the inner noise of fear makes it very difficult for us to hear the tender, gentle, soft, urgent, merciful, loving, voice of our Father.

Not everyone can go deep into the mountains, into the desert, live as a hermit, to become externally and interiorly still to hear His voice.

But we can turn off the mp3 player, the computer, tv, radio, unplug the phone, turn off the cell – if only for a little while – and choose to be still.

The first few moments, maybe even times we do this, the sudden shock of lack of noise might feel odd, even fearful, lonely.

That’s normal.

Patience! He will soon fulfill His promise-invitation: “Be still and know that I am God.” [Psalm 46:10.]