Silent Night, Holy Night

Listen to this article

Six years ago I bought a new car complete with all the latest bells and whistles. Not being familiar with many of the state-of-the-art technological advances, you can imagine my surprise when driving down a busy highway my dashboard started ringing. Holy cats, my car is getting a call! Should I answer and say that my car is busy driving and will get back to you at a more convenient time? The thought that I could now function as a receptionist for my automobile didn’t really ring my bell. Yet, here was one more way that people could reach me. Oh, joy!

I debate how available I want to be with every new piece of gadgetry I acquire. If I wanted to I could maximize every moment of my waking existence virtually connected to everyone and really live this state of spiritual oneness that I continually advocate. In a world where busyness is a badge of honor I often wonder, Is busier better? When is enough, enough?

Enter the holiday season with its overload of festivus for the normally balanced people of the world. In a season where everything in nature tells us to turn inward and be still, we ramp up our everyday activity to a frantic level. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am, especially at this time of year, that I have maintained a daily meditation practice for the last thirty plus-years. It provides for me what Ernest Holmes elucidates: “In the silence of the soul’s communion with the Great Cause of All Being, into the stillness of the Absolute, into the secret place of the Most High, back of the din and the ceaseless roar of life, we shall find a resting place and a place of real spiritual power.”

So, just what is that sound of silence, that resting place? What would we feel if we took time to be silent? Are we ‘enough’ in the silence? We are, interestingly, a collective of human ‘beings’ who define ourselves by what we do and not who we are, so it isn’t unusual that we would find ourselves uncomfortable or unfamiliar with a daily meditation in the silence. Yet a heart centered practice based in serenity puts us in touch with the invisible reality behind every visible thing. As we become open and receptive to the thunder of silence, we learn to hear our own authentic voice rising above the din of the world. And when everything is just a little too holly jolly whose voice do you really want to hear?

In the hustle and bustle of a far too busy holiday season I invite you to unplug, take a breath and relax into the peace that is ever awaiting our awareness. Find your own version of a retreat, sanctuary or sabbatical or just inhabit a quiet, spacious moment drenched in beauty. Listen to what is said and what is held in the soundless sacred space of your heart. Give yourself the gift of a silent night, holy night and everything will be much clearer in the morning. And if your car calls, just say you’ll be back in touch when all is calm and all is bright.

 •••• •••• ••••• •••• ••••

Through her ministry, “Doorway Into The Infinite”, Rev. Maria holds the vision for the transformation of the consciousness of planet earth. She is a spiritual change agent committed to… educating people in the process of healing… empowering the world one creative thought at a time… and experiencing peace in our lifetime. Her articles, essays, and meditations have been published in various magazines. She has self-published numerous books and manuals, and released two recordings of guided meditations. She’s created a variety of classes, workshops, and spiritual performance pieces, where she expresses her profound interest in spirituality and peace. For more information, she can be reached at her website: www.be-the-change.com or at her e-mail: [email protected].

Rev Maria Shamaya Clemente

Through her ministry, “Doorway Into The Infinite,” Rev. Maria holds the vision for the transformation of the consciousness of planet Earth. She is a spiritual change agent committed to … educating people in the process of healing … empowering the world one creative thought at a time … and experiencing peace in our lifetime. Her articles, essays, and meditations have been published in various magazines. She has self-published numerous books and manuals, and released two recordings of guided meditations. She’s created a variety of classes, workshops, and spiritual performance pieces, where she expresses her profound interest in spirituality and peace.