7 years ago Mary Griffith
This past weekend, I participated in a spiritual strengthening retreat at the Shrine of Our Lady of Snows in Belleville, IL. Saturday afternoon, our gathering space was silent as our group was deep in meditation and spiritual dialogue with God. It was a deep silence, the kind of quiet that only comes when you go deep into your own thoughts. The world melts away. Even your companions at the retreat seem not to be there next to you. Sacred Silence.
Until my cell phone rang, jarring me out of my reverie and disturbing the composure of the Catholic nun leading the exercise in silence.
I never even thought to turn off my cell phone. No one ever calls me, except my husband and my best friend, and they were in the quiet room with me, listening for God's voice. Worse, I answered the call, mostly just to stop the ringing. "I can't talk now, I'll call you back" I whispered.
The sweet Catholic nun was giving me the corner of the eye death stare. Others at my table looked at me in curious horror.
And then I made it even worse still, telling the distracted..."That was God, I told him I couldn't talk to Him now. I was trying to connect to Him in silence".
