God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea…The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob (Ps 46:2-3,8).
There is a peace to be found when I turn off the world. Make no mistake, we have a choice to Whom we listen, both internally and externally. This goes to that First Freedom (I will always be going back to this).
I had a blissful morning of silence from the external sources that are not the people who are closest to me. I texted friends a psalm verse of encouragement. I heard back from many. I received prayer requests. I cleaned my kitchen with joy (and anyone who knows me knows that we are talking about something miraculous). I found out about a death due to COVID-19. A former colleague’s husband died. The chosen fast from worldly news gave me the opportunity to offer every moment in prayer, even while doing the dishes, giving truth to the adage, “God is in the pots and pans,” (cf. St. Teresa of Avila, The Book of Foundations, Ch. 5.8).
The news, right now, is like the Oreo cookie to which I am a slave. The more I consume the more anxious I become, and the more I want to consume. And it takes my focus away from the persons who matter most: family, friends…the Lord.
Where would I be without the Lord? Sad. Anxious. “In You Lord is our hope, and we shall never hope in vain” is the last line of the Te Deum prayer that we sing on Sundays and Solemnities. In fact, tomorrow we sing it! For today, enjoy Restless is the Heart, sung by the Notre Dame Folk Choir.
2uolord 