Have you ever sat quietly with Our Lord—emptying your mind and resting in stillness? In those moments, I find my deepest peace. If only I could hold that peace within my heart throughout my day. Too often, my mind wanders, and the quiet has been crowded out by worry.
Maintaining inner peace is not easy for me. My thoughts become worries, worries become anxieties, and anxieties give way to regret. I lose so much time and energy in that cycle. Meanwhile, the devil worms through my weaknesses, turning them into barriers that keep me from drawing nearer to Our Lord.
“Be quiet. Be still,” I remind myself—for one minute, two minutes, five minutes, or however long it takes to welcome Our Lord into the stillness of my heart and mind. Yet I know it is not I who brings that quiet; it is the Lord. “He hushed the storm to silence, the waves of the sea were stilled” [Psalm 107:29].
Quieting the Storm
The storm may not always disappear at once, but Our Lord can quiet the storm within me—within each of us—if we allow Him. He can hush the waves of fear, quiet the winds of doubt, and remind us that His presence is steadier than anything that troubles our hearts and minds.
“Where is your faith?” [Luke 8:25], Jesus asked His disciples as He calmed the storm they feared. That question reaches me, too. My faith is with me, but it could be stronger. Imagine how different our hearts and minds might be if we spent less time listening to our worries and more time resting with Our Lord.
I recently came across this simple prayer: Lord, teach me to be silent. Teach me to be still. Teach me to trust that You are working even when I cannot see it, and that Your peace is greater than the storm within me. Amen! Better to keep this prayer in my mind and heart than any worry.
Stillness Is Not Passive
Consider this: Choosing stillness is an act of trust. It is a way of saying, Lord, I will not let fear lead me. I will not let worry speak louder than Your truth. In other words: “Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock” [Isaiah 26:4].
I find comfort in knowing when I cannot quiet myself, I can still lean on the One who is unshakable. His love for me—for all of us—is not weakened by our doubts, nor does He retreat from our fears. His love is infinite and His patience unwavering.
Perhaps the invitation is not to silence every thought at once, but to return again and again to the One who is already present. A few quiet moments with Our Lord can become a small act of surrender: breathing slowly, naming what troubles me, and then placing it gently in His hands.
So today, I will try again: to be silent, to be still, and to trust that the Lord is near. Even when the storm within me rises, I can return to Him, because His peace does not depend on my ability to create it. His peace is a gift, and He is faithful to give it.
“May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you” [2 Thessalonians 3:16]. Amen!
