New Year's Resolution?

01-01-2023Pastor's CornerVery Rev. Robert J. Deehan, VF

Do you have a New Year’s resolution? One resolution some people have chosen is to build into their lives time to be quiet and reflective, and thereby create more focus on what they’re doing in the course of their day, rather than merely run from one event to the next often at a frantic pace.

Do you have a New Year’s resolution? One resolution some people have chosen is to build into their lives time to be quiet and reflective, and thereby create more focus on what they’re doing in the course of their day, rather than merely run from one event to the next often at a frantic pace.

People have found that taking time each day in silence has been key to a more centered and peace-filled existence, and has actually transformed their lives.

A core of the Catholic mystical tradition has been silence. It is based on the premise that silence is the gateway to the soul; and the soul is the gateway to God. This is what Abbott Christopher Jamison of Worth Benedictine Abbey in England encourages in a short introduction to this type of prayer that you can view at www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDEYaLfhSkQ. It is not easy to adjust to this new discipline, but it will make quite a difference for those who persevere in making silence a part of their daily routine.

With smart devices filling our senses, our culture seems bent on driving people to be constantly tuned in and connected, giving little regard for our human and spiritual need for silence and time alone, uninterrupted. How have you made time for “disconnected” silence in your life? Many do it in the context of daily private prayer, either in their home or in church. Here at Holy Family, as in many Catholic churches, our chapel is open daily for silent prayer and reflection from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Every Friday, we offer Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during this time, which adds a special dimension to quiet prayer by having the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist displayed on the altar for adoration. I hope you will take advantage of these opportunities for silence in the presence of Jesus offered here in the parish. Experience what others have found in their search for clarity and direction in their lives. If we let the silence touch our soul, it is there where God can speak. And whatever God wants to say to us or do within us will be life-changing and a great blessing. What other New Year’s resolution can top that?

God bless you!

Fr. Bob