Peaceful Times
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Psalm 4: 4-5, 7: “When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord....You have put gladness in my heart.”
Saint Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, “Do not let his sin cause you to sin.” It seems that she was expanding on the first verse in Psalm 4—'When you are disturbed, do not sin." When we are disturbed by something or someone outside of ourselves, it usually causes us to act out and fall into sin. The Lord is asking us not to sin but to be quiet and take the time to ponder the situation or person in our hearts.
When I do refrain from reacting to the person's behavior or words and ponder quietly things in my heart, I allow the Holy Spirit to work in my thoughts. Usually after this brief quiet time, I am better able to either respond or to 'let it go' without a response from me.
As we go through our day, we can choose to offer up our little annoyances silently to God. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me daily because my personality is to react immediately to what someone does or says which can cause a tear in the relationship with this person.
When I can remain calm, my response is usually loving and peaceful. I have to ask myself, how important is it really? Most things in my life are not an emergency and do not require an immediate response. I can just release them and let them go.
Instead of always reacting to what people do or say, I can offer a sacrifice of praise by thanking our Lord for His grace, mercy and everlasting love for his children. Even when his kids are not behaving so well, God the Father continues to love us with an everlasting love.
When we offer up all our little sacrifices to God daily and place our trust in him, the Holy Spirit puts gladness in our hearts and we are at peace with ourselves and others. Let us ponder the words from Saint Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.”
Let us Pray: Today, help me Lord to be an instrument of your peace and not a stumbling block for myself and others. Lord, I offer you a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. I thank you! I praise you! I worship you! I adore you my Lord and my King!
Connie Beckman resides in Helena Montana with her husband and their dog Chewie and their two cats Heidi and Bailey. A number of years ago, she was the editor and feature story writer for a small bi-weekly newspaper. Connie has been published in a number of Catholic magazines. Margaret Ann Stimatz, Ruth Lloyd, and Connie co-authored a 40-day-reflection booklet entitled: Mercy for Little Souls which contains tidbits about the late Father Stu Long's powerful ministry with quotes from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy In My Soul. Mercy for Little Souls is available at Beyond.227.org. Her desire as a writer is to encourage Catholic spiritual growth by sharing the truths of the faith through the written word addressing a variety of subjects. "Go out to all the world and tell the good news." Mark 16:15.
