My Quiet Day: A Simple Idea for Holy Week

Like many people, I’ve fallen into the habit of sound. To the natural sounds around me, I’ve added all kinds of extra sounds that fill my days. It’s amazing what a phone can do.

But yesterday I had a quiet day. It wasn’t silent, but it was quiet. There were all the sounds that are normal for me and my life—the dishwasher running, the boys playing, Eli at the piano. The wind blew, cars passed, a small plane practiced large circles overhead. People spoke, and I spoke back. But in between the sounds of my ordinary day, I didn’t fill the crevices with headline news, podcasts that would entertain but not change me, or anything else my phone can do. It was amazing how many times I could have—and started to—but didn’t.

Two things felt really good during my quiet day. It felt good to enjoy the natural sounds around me instead of the extras. Even though it wasn’t silent, it still quieted my spirit. It turns out that the birds of spring are so much more interesting—and a million times more soothing—than a news report. No doubt the world still turns; the news will be there tomorrow. It also felt really good to know that I can stop myself from listening to those extra sounds, if I want to. Sometimes we aren’t sure about that—about whether we can stop doing the things we feel compelled to do.

A quiet day was just what I needed, right on the brink of Holy Week. So many people have told me that this year Lent hasn’t felt like Lent—that it seems to have passed before they could even begin to dig in, or celebrate, or commemorate. But we have this one week left. We can still do something simple to prepare for these days of glory.

Why not try a quiet day one day this week? It doesn’t have to be silent. Just don’t fill the extra moments, those little openings that want to be empty. Let your soul rest. It will feel really good, and it might create some sacred space in your heart—or perhaps, more importantly, your mind. These days our minds need rest as much as our hearts—maybe more.

Let’s allow Holy Week to play out—quietly, beautifully. There is still time to dig into these days.

You are all in my prayers!
Amy

Crocuses announce the start of spring during a walk on my quiet day.

The Shape of Prayer

As many of us are doing these days, I’m trying to reach out, to keep the people I love close to me. I recently wrote to my dear friends Epi and Joan. They responded with news both good and bad—the joy of a new grandchild, the pain of a family member lost to COVID.

Joan shared this story with me, and I wanted to pass it on to you. I found it both comforting and thoughtful.

“Last fall, there was a severe wind storm at night. I was up praying and wondering if it was going to turn into a tornado. Then it came to me that at least two neighbors, Ernestine and Lil, were also up and praying. I thought of them as points of prayer—the three of us making a triangle. Then I thought there were surely others praying, changing the triangle into some sort of polygon. This gave me great comfort. Now, as I pray for our nation, I think of you as another prayer point. Let's keep adding and stretching this prayer shape.”

We are all in this together—pandemic, political unrest, hopes and fears for the future. Yes, come what may, we are in this together, stretching this prayer shape, finding in prayer the strength to act and the discernment to know how to act; finding in prayer the perseverance to carry on, the wisdom to do right, and the softened hearts to love one another.

And may our prayers lead to peace—in our consciences, our homes, our nation, and our world.

An intricate web holds the shape of prayer. Photo by Mary Weems.

A Prayer when Putting on a Mask

The ideas within this prayer are simple. Even if you don’t remember the prayer, you may remember the gist of it and say something similar as you put your mask on to go out into the world. Praying for all of you during this time!

A Prayer when Putting on a Mask

Loving God,
   I wear this mask to protect others.
   I offer you any discomfort it may bring me.
   I pray for those who are ill today.
   While my face is covered,
   may my eyes look upon the world with your love. 
Amen.

Masks with Eli.

All Souls Prayer

My prayers are with each of you on this All Souls Day, especially with those who have lost loved ones, friends, coworkers, and companions of all kinds this past year. May our Healing God comfort you. May the memory of every life that touched yours be a blessing forever. Amen.

All Souls Prayer

Holy One, Creator of all,
today we pray in gratitude for every life that has gone before us.
For those who were faithful, we bless you.
For those who were searching, we praise you.
For those who were lost, we implore you.
We remember those who have recently died:
   the terminally ill, those we lost suddenly,
   those with cancer, those with COVID,
   the lonely, the suicidal,
   the young, the middle-aged, the old.
For every life, we thank you.
For every life, we praise you.
For every life, we bless you.
Amen.

Prayer by Amy Ekeh, © Liturgical Press 2020, published with permission

Glass window, Holy Infant Church, Orange, CT

5 Proverbs to Live By

Like many of you, I was saddened to hear that after more than eight decades in circulation, Catholic Digest ended its print run with the Summer 2020 issue. I have enjoyed writing my “Bible in 5” column for the Digest these past two years. Below is a column I especially had fun with and that readers seemed to enjoy. I hope you like it, too.

5 Proverbs to Live By

The book of Proverbs—a collection of wise sayings—is classified as “wisdom literature.” This means it is primarily focused on how to live a good, faithful, meaningful life. Wisdom literature relies on human experience and an awareness of God’s presence in our world and in our daily lives. In this column, we’ll explore five proverbs that are as relevant now as they were over two thousand years ago when they were first written. Here’s to good advice for a meaningful life!

1. How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver (16:16). In a world where we want everything fast and easy, and where we’re always expected to have a clever comment or a quickly-formed opinion, wisdom is no longer the valued commodity it used to be. Wisdom grows slowly from experience, patience, and listening. Those who have wisdom know its value. They know its value is greater than anything money could buy or anything that comes quick and easy. There is a great irony here—those who already have wisdom know its value; those who don’t may never be wise enough to seek it!

2. Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18). As a society, we are all too aware of the pain caused by harsh words. Bullying and cyber-bullying weigh heavily upon our collective conscience. And yet we continue to judge and lash out, whether online or in our homes, schools, or workplaces. It is partly comforting and partly disturbing to know that these “sword thrusts” have been a problem for human beings from ancient times. Once again, wisdom offers a corrective. The “tongue of the wise” not only makes better choices and refuses to inflict pain—it brings healing. What a gift—to be wise, and to heal others with one’s words. Lord, give us wisdom, that we may heal rather than harm!

3. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full (19:17). Here is a rich proverb, and one that echoes throughout the pages of Scripture in both testaments. It seems that the way we treat the poor is the way we treat God (Matt 25:35). In other words, God identifies closely with the poor because he loves them so dearly. The poor are not always able to repay the good done on their behalf. Jesus will later preach that this is good—we should try to do things for people who cannot repay us (Luke 14:12)! This is because we should do things out of love, and not for our own gain. And yet the words of this proverb and the words of Jesus both tell us that God himself will repay us when we love and help those who have less than we do (Luke 6:35; 14:14).

4. Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it (15:17). What a wonderful image! I imagine my own family with a pizza delivery, or another night of pasta. But we are happy. There might be another family down the street or across the world that has a mansion, a personal chef, and a gourmet meal. But they may not have love for each other. And when there is no love, the food just doesn’t taste as good. I’ll take vegetables over a “fatted ox” any day. How about you?

5. Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (16:31). Well, here’s a proverb we can all rally behind! Gray hair comes to us all, and although we may resist it with a variety of tactics, we can’t stop time. This proverb is about so much more than our hair color. It means that the longer we live, the more potential we have to live righteous lives. The longer we live, the more potential we have for wisdom, which is the crown of a life well-lived. Our modern American culture may not equate age with glory, but the Bible certainly does. So hold your head high and wear that crown of glory! You’ve earned it!

This column originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of Catholic Digest.