The Rector's Corner
Apr 2011

Dear Friends in Christ,

If you cannot go into the desert, you must nonetheless “make some desert” in your life if you are to be intimate with God. Every now and then, you must look for a place of solitude where God can restore, in prolonged silence and prayer, the stuff of your life and soul.
—Thomas Merton

I don’t know about you, but some days, and weeks (and dare I say months) I am so snowed under with work that all I can do is get out of bed, work through the day, grab a bite to eat, and fall into bed at night, only to start the whole process over again the next day. I have great respect and great compassion for those who have the same kind of schedule I have, and a family to care for.

The only way I maintain my prayer life “and restore…the stuff of my life and soul” is to rise early and spend some quality time in prayer and meditation. I also ask God to guide me with His Will in the day to come. Several times a year, I schedule a “desert” or “reading” week when I can get away from everything (either at home or away) and spend desert time “in prolonged silence and prayer”.

My grandfather and my farm relatives kept horses. When a storm would blow up the horses would get very agitated—whinnying, jumping up and down, and banging into their stalls. If this went on, they could easily injure themselves. At these times, my grandfather or my uncles would go into the barn and speak to the horses in low and soothing tones, and they would stroke the horses’ noses or necks while speaking. I was told that this is called, “gentling-down” the horses. It never failed, and the horses would calm down.

Where do you get your desert time? One place is to come to church a bit early and spend some quiet time before Mass. You need not fill up the hour with reading, or speaking to God in prayer. How often do we sit quietly and listen for what God has to say to us? He may have nothing to say. He may just want to sit quietly with you and assure you of His Love.

Sometimes, I think we may be like my relative’s horses. The storms of life, a varmint in our path, or just the stress and craziness in our heads makes us skittish and confused and afraid. We need to be “gentled down”. God is the one with the soothing voice and the gentle hand. Make a desert place in your life where God, the great “human whisperer” can gentle you down.

With my love and prayers,
Fr. Alan, Obl. SSJE
Rector

You can read the longer version in the April Messenger (PDF)