On my recent missionary journey, I had hoped to explore Death Valley National Park. Little did I realize that a “God moment” would occur when the motel owner Roy shared that his wife Roberta had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. As I knelt at the side of her wheelchair and offered Roberta a healing prayer, the Spirit of the Lord came upon us to offer hope and healing. Roy thanked me through his tears.
Now as I drove into the park, little did I realize that I was making a retreat and allowing God’s spirit to renew my heavy heart and praying for this courageous woman. In the stillness of the desert, take a moment to experience what I saw and allow Our Lord to be a source of comfort in your time of suffering and pain.
The early Christian Celts were heavily influenced by the early desert hermits and Desert Fathers and Mothers of Egypt such as Anthony the Great, Sarah of the Desert, and John Cassian. The Irish word ysert or diser, meaning “desert,” retains its original meaning, referring to a place of solitude or a retreat for a more intimate encounter with God. During Holy Week, set aside distractions such as television, social media, or shopping, and instead retreat for a time with the Lord.
One of the earliest Christian saints of Ireland was St. Kevin, the famous hermit monk of Glendalough. Kevin was renowned for his love of silence and stillness, as one legend about his life reveals. One morning as Kevin was praying, a blackbird landed in his outstretched hands. So afraid was Kevin to disturb the bird that he allowed it to make a nest in his hands during Lent. The legend tells us that the eggs hatched on a bright Easter morning and flew from Kevin’s hands
When we practice stillness like St. Kevin, our own hands—our whole being—become a space to cradle new life. Each of us ought to place a premium on stillness during Holy Week and, like St. Kevin of Glendalough, when the world becomes too rushed and noisy, seek out spaces for solitude.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends as we enter Holy Week, may it be a time to simply “be still” as we awake the dawn of hope and our resurrection.
