“The more we confidently entrust the future to God, without trying to know it or master it, the more secure and peaceful we are.” Jacques Philippe
Once in a while, it’s good to get away from the frenzy of the world to be able to hear God’s voice. Silence is God’s first language, and it’s hard to hear Him in a world that thrives on noise. Unless we take time away from everything and everyone, we won’t be able to hear His voice clearly. We may hear Him, but like a phone conversation when there is static on the line, His voice will reach us muffled by the noise around us.
I was able to take this time away from the world for one weekend in May. The retreat that I attended is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The original exercises last thirty days. Wouldn’t that be nice? Disappearing for thirty days sounds wonderful in theory but pretty unrealistic in real life. Most of us cannot afford that luxury. We have responsibilities that will not allow us to get away for that long. But we can settle for two or three days. Trust me, it may sound difficult, but it is so freeing.
At first, all I wanted to do was to look at my phone. I kept telling myself: “Just one time, seriously, what difference will it make?” I must confess that I succumbed to the temptation a couple of times. But then, I put it away, and to be disengaged from technology for forty-eight hours felt absolutely wonderful.
Technology is a barrier between us and God. We may use it to meditate, to listen to religious Podcasts and to help us with our prayers, but the truth is that it also distracts us and lures us into other things that have nothing to do with God. The purpose of going on retreat without the interference of technology is to get closer to God, to get to know Him better, to love Him more, and to find out what He desires for me and from me. Technology will not provide these answers.
During the retreat, I experienced an interior freedom that it’s hard to describe. Coincidentally, or most likely God-incidentally, during our silent meals we listened to a book titled “Interior Freedom” by Jacques Philippe. This book helped me to put into words what I was feeling.
The book explains that we need to liberate our hearts to be able to live the true freedom to which God calls us. That is exactly what I experienced on that silent weekend: interior freedom. God is the source of this interior freedom, and the world cannot take it away. This discovery allowed me to realize that no matter what happens on the outside, I can experience true happiness within me. If I expand that interior freedom, nothing can crush me. But the only way to expand the interior freedom is to surrender to God.
When we surrender to God, we can live in complete self abandonment. God is in charge so we have nothing to worry about. This requires a total detachment from our own plans, which is not easy. But if we can manage it, this complete dependence on God will gives us great interior freedom.
It requires complete trust to be able to fully surrender our lives to God. When we do, we will realize that God is all we need. And then, we will be truly free. In the meantime, the world has a hold on us that whether we realize it or not, it’s like living in a jail cell filled with worry, anxiety and fear.
The retreat taught me that even though I cannot physically disappear from the world for prolonged periods of times, I can set aside moments of silence during the day. I can spend quiet time in the car on my way to work. I don’t need to turn on the TV the minute I walk into the house. I can stop by the Blessed Sacrament once in a while. I can sit in my prayer nook for a few minutes each day. These silent moments will connect me to God, allow me to surrender all to Him, and truly experience the interior freedom that I discovered during the retreat.
Copyright © 2023 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
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