Well, actually my name is not Joe, but when I was trying to decide how to begin this thing, the only thing I could think of is the Joe & button factory song. If you are not privy to this song let me give you a glimpse: Hello, my name is Joe, and I work in a button factory. One day, my boss came up to me and said, "hey Joe, are you busy?" I said, "No sir" so push the button with your right hand *begin finger pushing button motion* and it goes on and on and on. Honestly, I'm not too sure why that song entered my little noggin, but with that being said (or sung), I suppose I better get this blogging gig started. Becoming a blogger has been a secret passion of mine for a while, but I never thought I would have things to talk about or the dedication be be consistent, but here I am, ready for a challenge! This journey began just about an hour ago when my dear friend, Emily, asked if I had a blog and if I did it would be interesting. To that I laughed and jumped on the bandwagon.
Some friends and I just returned from a silent retreat at Conception. I have been wanting to attend a silent retreat for a while now, so I was super excited when Rockhurst offered this opportunity. To enter silence, we joined the monks at the abbey for lauds, which was a super relaxing and peaceful experience, and became silent afterwards. After lauds, I sat in the basilica for a while to prepare myself for this silent journey, which to my surprise turned into a little bit of a meltdown/freak out session. I was so confused about why I thought this was a good idea and why I had been so excited about this in the first place. After about 30 minutes of panicked chatter to God, I was able to find peace. I began my silent journey on a nighttime stroll outside when I ran into my favorite location on the grounds- The Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. Engraved on it was, "Behold this heart which has loved so men." Being reminded and feeling the love that Jesus has for me always gets me going and helped me set the mood for the rest of the retreat. After experiencing hours of silence, I've decided that I don't take enough time to quiet my surroundings, heart and mind and listen to what God is telling me. Well, here's to facing struggles and crossing the bridge.
“When we open our heart to the love of God and to others, it makes us capable of shaping history according to God’s plan.” - John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 2000.
May you find silence in your life and cherish it. Much love.
