Friar's Corner

The dog days of summer are here and especially as New Englanders we look forward to this time of year. After a long and cold winter we gather together with family and friends around our picnic tables as we enjoy our typical summer treats such as burgers, watermelons, ice cream and the list goes on. We also use this time do take some time away from our hectic schedules. We use this opportunity to either go on a trip that we have saved for or just stay around the house to get some R and R or work on house projects. Whatever we do this summer things do slow down a bit. The days are longer and it just seems we have a bit more of time on our hands. How could we truly utilize this great season of summer?

The song, Sacred Silence comes to mind as I think of these summer months. In the refrain of this beautiful song we hear these words; “Sacred silence, holy ocean, gentle water, washing over me. Help me listen, Holy Spirit, come and speak to me.” As we go through these days of summer and find ourselves in the quiet moments of the season, are we truly listening to the sacred silence? Are we listening to the beauty of creation around us? Are we listening to the beauty of the ocean as it hit’s the sand? . The gentle breeze that goes through the trees as it whispers a beautiful sound in our ears. The grand mountains that reaches to the heavens as it speaks of it’s beauty through our sense of sight.

We go through life at such a fast pace that we truly lose the sense of what’s going on. We truly forget that God is speaking to us through the creation he has created. We can become too busy with our work, family obligations, internet, Facebook, blackberries and the list goes on. The season of summer is the time that we stop and refrain from these areas and truly appreciate these moments to truly listen.

Pope John Paul II said, “"How could we not feel surrounded by the love of God who opens before us the book of nature and invites us to read there the signs of his presence and tenderness? Far from daily life, which is often frantic and unfortunately sometimes alienating, in this delightful mountain spot we have the opportunity to rediscover the grandeur of God and man in the beauty of creation, and we are invited to achieve a fuller harmony with the Artisan of the universe."

Now is the time for us to truly take back our precious time of silence. Let us not fall into a society that constantly steals our time away from us and convinces us that the silence is just a waste of time. What is a waste of time is if we don’t truly give our minds, souls and body rest. They just become exhausted and we will not be able to use the gifts that God has given us to its fullest potential.

So enjoy these upcoming weeks of the summer and let the “Holy Spirit come and speak to me.”


Love,
Fr. Phil

Happy Birthday America

Happy Independence Day. I'm thankful for the United States of America for the great opportunities it provides for us. I truly love the USA. God bless America! Thank you to our troops for truly sacrificing their lives to protect our freedom.

My Lord and My God