Source: allanbrucezee.com via Tina on Pinterest
I sometimes find myself in Catholic churches before the other worshipers arrive. This is my quiet place. When there are people in a church, the air vibrates with the intensity of prayer and the energy generated by so many devotional hearts beating. There is no quiet during the Mass; paper rattles, clothing rustles, and children forget to use their inside voices. My mind usually begins darting from noise to noise in an effort to identify them all, and the entire service is over before I realize it.
The second I step over the threshold, I am cocooned in the silence. I calmly sit in a pew near the back, close my eyes and pull the tranquil air into my lungs. There is no hurrying to "get things done". There is no "have to". The stillness is a cat curled around itself, dreaming of simple pleasures, but I am no mouse to be devoured. I breathe in and out as the tension in my shoulders eases and my mind halts the constant hamster wheel race. Sometimes I pray. Sometimes I think. In this quiet place, I can just be.
Be still, and know that I am God.
"When there are people in a church, the air vibrates with the intensity of prayer and the energy generated by so many devotional hearts beating." -- Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous... I arrive at church early, too, but I'm part of the group that makes it 'work'. There's stuff I have to do before those other get there and I've got to make sure it gets done. And you're right- once everyone's there, the quiet isn't there.
This is beautiful! I especially love the description of how the noise distracts you - I feel the same way.
ReplyDeleteI loved this. There is absolutely something magical and calming about a quiet, empty church.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely..
ReplyDeleteI loved this post. So true.
ReplyDeleteWow, you. I love how beneath the surface you went here,
ReplyDeleteThe analogies are poignant and the quiet portrayed is poetic. Truly.
Thank you for this.
This is just beautiful. I believe you've captured the essence of church the way it was meant to be experienced.
ReplyDeleteYes! The ultimate escape for me is through the doors and across the threshold of my church. I too am Catholic and the weight lifting as you ease into a pew is such a relief. Awesome post!
ReplyDeleteWonderful. most beautiful.
ReplyDelete"Be still, and know that I am God" is one of my favorites... it is faith in a nutshell, to me.
ReplyDeleteI would love it if you would link this to my Giving Gratitude Link Party.
Meredith From A Mother Seeking Come find me on my blog, A Mother Seeking...
I'm not Catholic, but still, there are times I find myself wandering into a Catholic church to smell the incense, the candle wax, and hear the quiet. Lovely post.
ReplyDelete