Getting the Message

An unusual message from Our Lord reminds Andrea Vij that the more time we spend in prayer, the better we get at recognizing His voice. 

“Calm down and love me.”  

It sounds like the title of a country song, but it’s actually the message Our Lord planted in my mind yesterday as I sat in Adoration at my parish church. Call it a locution, an intuition, or whatever you like, but the words came through clearly, overpowering the clutter of my worries for the day. (The laundry isn’t done … the car needs gas … we’re almost out of milk … did I pay the Visa bill? ) I wanted to pray, but my hyperactive brain just wouldn’t shut off. 

“Calm down and love me.” 

A wise soul once taught me that very often we can recognize Our Lord’s voice by its simplicity. God doesn’t seek to overwhelm us or cause confusion — no ambiguities or needless complications, no word salad. He wants us to understand Him and follow in His ways. His words will draw us in, like sheep to a shepherd.  

“Calm down and love me,” an unusual little reprimand on a busy weekday morning, passed my authenticity test. Gentle but firm, it got my attention right away; plus it made me smile. Like a wise and loving parent quieting a discombobulated child, God gave me a clear and easy exit from the tangle of distractions that was cutting into my prayer time. I took a deep breath, put the distractions aside, and sat in much-needed silence with Our Lord for a full hour — an hour that my shrieking to-do list did not want me to have.   

Time for Prayer 

Which brings to mind two saintly quotes about the time we spend in prayer. First, from Saint Francis de Sales: "Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.” 

And second, from Saint Teresa of Calcutta. When asked why she and her sisters in the Missionaries of Charity spent so much time in prayer when there was important work to be done for the poor and suffering, she famously answered, “If we don’t take time to pray, we couldn’t do this work.”   

Moms, Are We Hearing This? 

Sometimes we don’t feel like we can set aside a full hour to pray, and there are certainly days when we can’t — at least not while sitting down. But we need that prayer in order to do what we do every day. Plus, the more time we spend in prayer, the better we’ll become at recognizing God’s voice when He speaks to us — even when He says the most unusual things. 

Peace, Purpose, and a Smile 

Yesterday, a clear and simple statement cut through the noise in my head and convinced me to give Our Lord an hour that I didn’t think I could spare. In return, He not only made me smile, but also gave me a sense of peace and purpose that all the clean laundry in the world could never provide. 

I got the message. Let’s calm down and love Him. 

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2025 Andrea Vij
Images: Canva