SUMMER OFTEN BRINGS A shift in our daily rhythm. Whether your days are filled with travel, work, family or quiet moments at home, this season offers more than just a break from routine. As disciples of Jesus, summer is not simply a pause in activity, but a time to grow in holiness and deepen our communion with God and one another.
Encountering God and living in His presence requires our active participation, yet this is not meant to be another task to complete or a spiritual project to manage. Instead, it is a gentle call to surrender and to lay down our burdens, so as to receive the rest that only Jesus can give. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28).
We can enter into the rest that can only be found with Jesus by embracing three practices this summer: slowing down, silence and solitude. As a result, we will live more fully in the presence of God and be transformed by being with Him. Slowing Down: Receive the Gift of the Present Moment
Our Catholic tradition teaches us that slowing down is not being lazy or doing nothing. It’s the posture of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, choosing “the better part” (Luke 10:42). When we slow down, we open ourselves to receive the love of God rather than grasp for our own security and happiness.
This summer, resist the urge to fill every moment. Instead, create intentional space to savor the present moment. Walk without rushing. Eat without multitasking. Listen attentively to the person in front of you. Slowing down reminds us that we are not defined by our productivity, but by the love of God as His beloved sons and daughters. When we slow down, we begin to notice His Divine Presence and the particular ways He loves and provides for us as His children. Silence: The Voice of God We often think of silence as the absence of noise or an escape from reality. Our lives are constantly filled with external noise, some by our own choosing such as music or constant chatter, and some noise is beyond our control. Our problem is that we tend to fill the space for silence with noise, often to drown out the even nosier reality of our minds and hearts.
Our Catholic tradition teaches us that silence rightly understood is not an escape but encounter. If slowing down helps us become aware of God’s abiding presence, then silence creates the interior space to receive His presence and notice how God is speaking in the stillness. To cultivate this space, begin or end your day with five minutes of intentional silence. Sit quietly before the Blessed Sacrament, in your room. Gently let go of distractions. Do not rush to fill the silence with words or thoughts. In this way, silence will begin to form your heart to be attentive, receptive and open to God. Solitude: Alone with God Isolation is to be alone. Mindless scrolling on devices, busyness and overworking, and perfectionism are all isolating activities that cause us to withdraw from God and others. Slowing down and choosing silence lead us to solitude is to be alone with God. Jesus often withdrew to deserted places to pray (cf. Luke 5:16), not to escape but to be with His Father. Solitude is where we allow ourselves to be seen, known, and loved by God. Let yourself be known in prayer and resist the temptation to perform. Unite yourself to God by honestly sharing your joys, wounds, sorrows, temptations and dreams with God. Sharing our hearts with God draws us into the intimate communion with Him.
This summer, let your heart rest in the presence of God. By slowing down, embracing silence and entering true solitude, you will not be adding more to your life. Instead, you will be making the space to receive more of God. In this regular practice of receiving the love of God, may you come to know more deeply that you are seen, known and loved by the One who invites you to remain in Him.