Episode 3238: The Sacred Stillness: Doing Nothing with God

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Speak Lord for your Servant is Listening
Book Recommendation of the Day
St. Teresa of Avila – The Interior Castle
• A complement to St. John, St. Teresa (1515–1582) describes the journey inward to God as moving through “mansions” of the soul.
• Stillness and recollection are essential for entering the deeper rooms where God dwells.
• She calls silence and resting in God’s presence “prayer of quiet” — not sloth, but fruitful stillness.
The Sacred Stillness: Learning the Grace of Doing Nothing with God
I was sitting in church yesterday and getting ready for mass to start and of course I was lining up my missal and wanting to be prepared, which is good and proper, and then I just stopped and realized I was running all morning and this was the one place I needed to just stop. Stop the busyness and simply say “Speak Lord for your servant is listening” and then shut up and do nothing.
It is often said that people dread Mondays, but the reason goes deeper than just the return to work or routine. On Sunday, many experience a rare gift: stillness. Whether it comes through worship, quiet reflection, or simply a slowing of the week’s pace, Sunday offers a taste of peace and rest that the soul longs for. Then Monday arrives, and that serenity is shattered by deadlines, noise, and responsibilities. The abrupt shift jars us, leaving Monday with a reputation for heaviness and gloom.
But perhaps the real problem is not Monday itself it is our failure to carry Sunday with us into the week ahead. The stillness of Sunday is not meant to be locked away, reserved for just one day. It is a lesson and a rhythm that can anchor us all week long. If we could learn to weave Sunday’s peace into the fabric of Monday, Tuesday, and beyond, the world’s pressures would not crush us so easily. Instead of dreading Monday, we could enter it renewed, strengthened, and ready, because we have learned the art of living from the stillness of Sunday.
The Illusion of Busyness
We live in a time where busyness has become a badge of honor. People boast of packed schedules, endless tasks, and constant activity as though it were proof of meaning. Yet in reality, much of this “productivity” is emptiness of action motion without depth, noise without fruit.
The Desert Fathers warned of this very temptation. They left the cities not only to escape sin but to be freed from distraction disguised as activity. They knew that filling life with noise and movement often covers a restless heart that fears stillness. I will see friends that must constantly planned for something but planned absolutely nothing for Christ and yet feel very vindicated in that position because after all their duty of state is most important.
Today’s Catholics often confuse stillness with laziness, or silence with waste. But the Desert tradition teaches that there is a sacred order of doing nothing not sloth, but holy repose in God.
Segment 1: What the Desert Fathers Taught About Stillness (Hesychia) Heh-SEE-kee-uh
• Abba Moses said:
“Sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.”
Here, the “cell” meant both the monastic room and the interior heart the place of stillness with God.
• Abba Isaac taught:
“He who loves quietness is delivered from many wars.”
• They called this state hesychia, meaning inner peace, stillness, and rest in God. It was not idleness, but a form of prayer resting in His presence without distraction.
For the Fathers, this quiet was more fruitful than endless activity. They preferred a single moment of recollected prayer to hours of scattered words.
Segment 2: The Difference Between Holy Stillness and Sloth
It is important to distinguish:
• Sloth (Acedia): weariness of the soul, a distaste for prayer, and flight from one’s duties. It leads to despair and negligence.
• Stillness (Hesychia): a deliberate resting in God, silence that nourishes the soul, and peace that allows love to grow.
The Desert Fathers saw acedia as the “noonday devil,” while stillness was the remedy. Where sloth flees from God, stillness abides with Him.
Segment 3: Why This Matters for Us Today
Our modern world is addicted to distraction.
• Phones buzz, schedules overflow, and Catholics often think holiness means doing more devotions instead of being recollected in fewer, deeper ones.
• Busyness makes us feel important, but it often leaves us empty and restless.
• Stillness feels uncomfortable, even frightening, because it reveals the state of our soul before God.
Yet, without stillness, prayer becomes shallow, and activity becomes vanity. We risk becoming Martha without Mary busy with service but neglecting the “one thing necessary” (Luke 10:42).
Segment 4: Practical Steps to Rediscover Sacred Stillness
1. Schedule Silence: Set aside moments each day with no devices, no noise, only God.
2. Short Prayers in Silence: Whisper “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:9) and wait in stillness.
3. Fewer Words, More Presence: Replace long, rushed prayers with fewer, heartfelt ones.
4. Rest in the Cell of Your Heart: Even at work or in family life, pause interiorly, remembering God.
5. Offer Stillness as a Sacrifice: Instead of filling every moment with work, accept unproductive time as worship.

Segment 5: The Fruits of Sacred Stillness
• Clarity of Mind — Without noise, the soul can hear God.
• Peace of Heart — Anxiety diminishes when we learn to rest in Him.
• Purification of Love — We learn to seek God not for consolations, but simply to be with Him.
• Freedom from Vanity — We stop measuring ourselves by tasks or achievements and learn that God desires our heart more than our output.
The Desert Fathers discovered that silence bears fruit — humility, patience, and above all, communion with God.
Conclusion: The Call to Rest in God
In our restless and busy age, the Desert Fathers offer us a countercultural wisdom: holiness is not measured by activity, but by fidelity, silence, and love.
Sacred stillness is not idleness. It is the soul’s Sabbath with God. If we do not learn to be comfortable with “doing nothing” before Him, we risk doing everything without Him.
As the Psalmist prays: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). That is not a command to sloth, but an invitation to freedom.
Epistle – Ecclesiasticus 31:8–11
"Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures. Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in his life... His goods shall be established, and the whole church shall declare his alms."
Reflection on the Epistle
This passage praises the man who, though he could have been corrupted by riches, remains faithful to God. True greatness lies not in wealth but in integrity, detachment, and fidelity.
St. Bruno lived this epistle in its fullness. Though he was a brilliant scholar in Reims, admired for his learning and offered positions of honor, he renounced worldly success to seek God in silence. He was “found without blemish” because he did not chase after gold or glory, but after the pearl of great price—union with God.
For us, this Epistle challenges the idolatry of materialism in our age. How often Catholics compromise their faith for comfort, success, or reputation. But the just man like Bruno remains firm, renouncing false treasures for eternal ones.
Gospel – Luke 12:35–40
"Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding... Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching."
Reflection on the Gospel
Here Our Lord commands vigilance. The faithful servant keeps his lamp lit, ready for the Master’s return at any hour. The unfaithful servant is caught off guard, unprepared for judgment.
St. Bruno lived this Gospel literally. The Carthusian vocation is a perpetual watch: night vigils, ceaseless prayer, silence that keeps the soul alert to God. He understood that life is short and eternity is long; vigilance is not optional but essential.
For us, vigilance means living in a state of grace, frequenting the sacraments, and cultivating prayerful attention to God. It means resisting spiritual laziness, avoiding compromise, and remembering that death and judgment will come suddenly. A distracted, worldly Catholic risks being like the servant caught sleeping. But the watchful Catholic, living in readiness, will hear the blessed words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Feast of St. Bruno
St. Bruno (c. 1030–1101) founded the Carthusian Order, one of the strictest and most austere in the Church, combining solitude with liturgical prayer. His motto might be summed up in the Carthusian saying: “The Cross stands steady while the world turns.” While the world chases noise, power, and distraction, the Carthusian lives in silence, stability, and fidelity to the Cross.
His feast calls us to reclaim silence, detachment, and vigilance in our own lives, even if not in a cloister, but in our homes and hearts.
Application for Today
• Detach from riches: Be content with what you have, valuing integrity above wealth.
• Live watchfully: Keep your soul in a state of grace, ready for Christ’s return.
• Seek silence and prayer: Like St. Bruno, carve out moments of solitude to listen to God.
• Be faithful in little things: Daily prayer, penance, and fidelity prepare us for eternal reward.
Conclusionary Prayer
O God, who didst call St. Bruno to serve Thee in solitude and prayer, grant that through his intercession we may despise earthly things, ever live in watchfulness, and seek only the treasures of Heaven.
St. Bruno, pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, intercede for us.