Mondy Morning Meditation: Listen to God in the Silence.

My quiet morning prayer place.

I'm generally an early riser. This morning I woke up a little after five. Sometimes I say my morning prayers in bed and hope I fall back to sleep, but generally I can tell if that is going to happen. It didn't, so I rose about 5:30 and gazed out the window overlooking the pool. Oops! The kids left the lights on in the pool house yesterday. Why they turned them on in broad daylight mystified me, but I just sighed, put on a wrap, and went out to turn them off. I'm my mom's daughter and she was thrifty and vigilant about turning off lights not being used! But I won't scold, just remind them next visit to turn off the lights.

It was still pretty dark but I heard a large splash as I came out of the pool house and could see the shape of a big frog practicing his bread stroke underwater. We get lots of little frogs in the pool but only occasionally a big bullfrog. Kids are coming to swim today; I'll let them work on frog capture. Is swimming with frogs like swimming with the dolphins?

While I'm engaging in stream of consciousness, it was a real gift to be up early. I stopped in the garage to check the baby chicks and refill their food. I walked around the house and could see something close to the ground rambling across the front yard. The groundhog? I started moving over to it when I noticed a white streak. Ah -- think I will leave the skunk alone. We continued in opposite directions.

As I came around the circle garden, I noticed some Virginia creeper crawling out of the bush. I was going to pull it when I thought how beautiful it would look in the fall -- the crimson against the green, a harbinger of the holidays. No, I thought, I will let it grow until then unmolested. I love Virginia Creeper!

After making coffee, I settled on the front porch to spend the first moments of my morning holy hour praising God in the beauties of nature. The quiet was almost noisy. Have you experienced that? Everything was so incredibly still. The spinner in my front circle garden wasn't moving at all; neither were the pine trees across the street. No cars passed while I sat there. The only sounds were some crows cawing and the early birdsong. 

What an invitation to recollection in the silent stillness of the rising dawn. I sat for a time and watched the twilight grow into a bright, sunny day.

Recollection...

Does life sometimes seem
to spin out of control?

That was what Father preached on yesterday at Mass. And he emphasized that it begins with silence -- not just exterior silence, but interior silence as well. We can sit in a silent church and be filled inside with noise. Stilling the mind and being aware of God's presence without distraction challenges the soul. 

How did you begin your day today? Did a buzzing or clanging alarm clock jolt you into wakefulness and become the symbol of a day full of noise? Father invited us to stop and take five for recollection throughout the day. The duties of life can drown out the voice of God who speaks in that still, small voice described by Elijah. Stopping for a few minutes to just listen and lift my heart to God can remind me that He is always near, ready to hear a heartfelt plea. And He can use us wherever we are to advance His kingdom if we are eager to do His will.

As a dear priest, now faithfully departed, once told me, "If you want to be used by God, by God you'll be used." I do, Lord! Please use me today for whatever purpose you desire. I want to love You with my whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and my neighbor as myself.

Amen! Alleluia.