The silence zone' Have you noticed when you ask people how they are doing, many respond; "I'm busy!" "We're just barely staying afloat!" "I barely have enough time to breath", My schedule is so packed, I have little time to think!"

We live in a noisy world among hurrying crowds. The pressure is harder. The pace has accelerated as we push to do more and pack additional activities in the day. We are all "plugged-in" to something and so many things are competing to enter our minds, our sight, and our ears. Yes, the noise is getting louder!

We owe it to ourselves to guard what comes in our senses. We owe it to ourselves to set up a 'silence zone' somewhere in every day. The scriptures clearly instruct us to set aside time for worship and prayer. The church emphasizes the need for a break in this worldly chatter. We need to go into the room of our mind and heart, shut the door and pray to our Father in secret. We need this prayerful silence ~ physically, mentally, and most importantly, spiritually to keep us balanced. We must take make this time to listen to God before entering and listening to what the world has to say.

How many of us begin the day turning on the morning news, or music? How many of us start the day by reading the newspaper before any attempt to pray or meditate or even consider our Lord and His abundant blessings?

As we practice this 'silence zone' descending with our mind into our heart in prayer standing before God's presence, we will progress to carry God's message of love in our very being. As we practice prayer, we will be transformed by the loving power of God rather than the tiring, false message of the world.

My prayer during this Lenten journey is that we desire and create this powerful 'silence zone'. That we commit to making time with God. That we strive to be busy doing the will of God.

As St. Francis says, may we become instruments of peace. That we can sow love when there is hatred; that we may pardon when there is injury, that we find faith when there is doubt, that we may have hope when there is despair; that we may have light when there is darkness, joy when there is sadness. Let us seek to love rather than to be loved, to understand rather than to be understood, to give rather than to receive.