"The great secret of monastic life, which on the surface looks like total withdrawal from human society, is that years of solitude, silence, and prayer, if they are undergone in the right spirit, lead to an expanded heart."
Paula Huston, "Simplifying the Soul"
I am still very new at the whole solitude and silence stuff, but the interesting thing about it is that it always sends me forth, back into the world, to do what I do better. It's never just about MY silence or MY solitude, it is always about what I can do better for the world after the silence ends. The first silent retreat at the Hermitage in Mesa showed me how I need to do my job better with the Commission for the Blind. It was so clear to me, after days of silence and solitude, that I need to be more aware of doing my job for and with Jesus. As I left the Hermitage and got onto the road for home, I called coworkers and promised to be a new, more willing partner in the future. As I read this today, I am so aware that my times of silence send me forth to do a better job at living for others. Ms. Huston's activity for today is to pray for strangers we may meet through our day. Everyone is going through something, as we can all assume. And our prayers may just help them on their journey. Today, as we cross paths with many others on our Holy Week Wednesday, let's pray for them and whatever they may be going through...God only knows! Love, heidi
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