Holy Ground Holy Silence

Over the past several days I have been on an Hermitage Experience. What that means is that I live as a hermit (for the most part) in quiet, in prayer, in conversation with God, in time away from the of community and the world. The only time I encountered people was for daily Mass. My Director took on the mother role for this time and provided me with my daily supper meal (I had food for other times) and then we switched roles and he became the hermit and I took on the mother role. For the most part when I left the hermitage, the quiet continued I just settled in with my Franciscan Brothers who live nearby, and except for conversations at meals, the quiet continued. This was a blessed time, a sacred time, a grace-filled time. It is not the first time I have spent time as a hermit or in quiet for an extended period of time, however this time seemed different, it seemed to grasp me differently.

Being on the Poor Clares Monastery grounds was a gift in itself, being on this Holy Ground, near the community of these holy and joy-filled sisters was encouraging and supportive. I knew I was being held in prayer. Being able to walk from my simple little hermitage to their chapel for quiet prayer and Mass was a walk filled with blessings. Being able to go for walks in the quiet with no time restraints, being able to rest, to read, to ponder, to pray, to listen, to contemplate and to converse with God fanned the flame in my heart that is burning with a Franciscan desire for Jesus. Being wrapped up in deep thoughts, in words of prayer, in words of scripture, in time that had no demands, in words flowing into my journal; these all came from my depths and stirred within me because God who is always at work in me was working overtime in me.

As my Postulancy Year comes to a close and after a few very busy weeks, the gift of this week of quiet to be able to look back, look ahead and look within allowed for me to connect with Jesus in a very real way and also see how Francis is calling me to continue to be a part of his dream. It is hard to put into words all that stirred within me; some of it because it is deeply personal, some of it because in that moment it was the gift I needed, some of it because it is hard to describe the emotions one feels when you hear the voice of God affirm you and say ‘I love you very much’, some of it because of how quiet and nature can speak to the soul and some of it because words just can't fully describe the power and blessings of this time.

God continues to work in and through me,
God continues to call me and empowers me,
God continues to say you are where I need you, trust me.

So I do, and the journey continues,
So I do, and peace settles deeper within me,
So I do, and open myself up to fullness of life.

During my hermitage time I again came across a quote that says: ‘At the heart of Francis is the heart of Christ.’ Each time I read it, it expanded to be ‘At the heart of Francis and at the heart of Michael is the heart of Christ.’ Then the gospel on one of the hermitage days said: ‘Abide in me, as I abide in you.’ These words from scripture give depth to the quote, for these words have always brought me comfort and joy.

‘At the heart of Francis and at the heart of Michael is the heart of Christ’ speaks deeply to abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in me. This abiding from both perspectives invites me to trust in Christ, to rest in him, to move and be in him, but it is also assurance that Christ lives in me and loves in me and moves in me. Christ calls me to life and calls me to share in his life.

Abiding in Christ is blessing-filled, grace-filled and hope-filled. Christ abiding in me is my heart beating to his heart, my life unfolding with him as my center, my actions and words more and more becoming his and me trusting that he has begun and will fulfill a good work in me.

Yes Lord, I abide in you and I’m so very thankful that you abide me.

So grateful for this rich Franciscan tradition of hermitage time and the blessings it has poured into my life. I hope and pray that you can see where blessings have filled your week.