So much of The Quiet Life is about subtraction. St. Teresa of Avila famously said, “The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes.”
This process of a simpler, quieter, leaner spiritual life isn’t easy. There’s just so much noise that we allow into our lives. That noise starts on the outside and eventually creeps into our heads and hearts.
Don’t believe me? The next time you arrive early for Mass, see how quiet your head is. For me, I’m gently pushing back thoughts, worry and preoccupation. I will even pray, “Lord, for just 30 minutes, please give me the grace to focus on you and not on the distractions in my head.”
As a result, it can be helpful to conduct a mini-Lent from time to time. How do you know when that time is? Easy: the next time you feel that the noise is too loud.
For one week, try giving up a few things. I promise- you won’t miss any of the following for just seven days:
This process of a simpler, quieter, leaner spiritual life isn’t easy. There’s just so much noise that we allow into our lives. That noise starts on the outside and eventually creeps into our heads and hearts.
Don’t believe me? The next time you arrive early for Mass, see how quiet your head is. For me, I’m gently pushing back thoughts, worry and preoccupation. I will even pray, “Lord, for just 30 minutes, please give me the grace to focus on you and not on the distractions in my head.”
As a result, it can be helpful to conduct a mini-Lent from time to time. How do you know when that time is? Easy: the next time you feel that the noise is too loud.
For one week, try giving up a few things. I promise- you won’t miss any of the following for just seven days:
- Social media.
- The news.
- Downloading a new app.
- Shopping for things outside of groceries.
- More than one hour of tv a day.
The Quiet Life can be easy to lose. But, just as quickly, an occasional fast (from the items mentioned above) can bring that quiet back into our lives.