Administrators Pompeii Posted January 15 Administrators Share Posted January 15 One Thing, Jesus Christ - Article #10 - Seventh Series - January 15th, 2024 by Fr. Ben Daghir Article: I have always been interested in learning peoples’ various approaches to finding peace and silence. Often, prayer is the most consistent method for encountering peace and silence. It’s the approach that I try to enter into each day. It may be from the basic challenges of life: overcoming fears, anxiety, pressure, stress, conflicts, etc. It may also be a result of a deep interest in athletics, especially dialing in as a pitcher during baseball games from years ago. It may be from fishing and hunting over the years. It may also be from a habit and desire to enter deeper into the spiritual life. It could be from all of these reasons and more that I’ve failed to mention. Every person, regardless if he/she is a deep believer in God, seeks peace and silence from time to time. The athlete certainly does. The person driving in her car after a long work day certainly appreciates the silence. The grandfather after spending a few hours with the grandkids desires peace. The golfer after a bad shot certainly needs a method for calming down. The hunter in the treestand needs to relax some nerves as the buck approaches. The priest before his homily needs silence and peace. A method that I’ve found to be very effective, regardless of the situation that I am currently in or preparing myself to encounter, is that of repeating a simple prayer. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I say this prayer as follows: Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be. I then begin again, “Be still and know that I am God” and continue the path to “Be.” I repeat this prayer as slowly and as long as necessary. I allow my heartbeat, breath, and mind to get in sync with the biblical verse. I’ve found it to be helpful from the pulpit, the treestand, the pitcher’s mound, behind the wheel, falling asleep, after a bad golf shot, while sitting in a meeting that could have ended 25 minutes earlier, and many more situations. ======================== Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts