I’ve been sitting in the silence lately and letting it wash over me. I’ve been letting it mold and shape and grow me. And it’s been good. Because here in this silence, life unfolds in quiet splendor. It makes itself known in the gentle whisper of the rising sun and the giant sky at nightfall.

And sometimes I think we can only really see it when we’re paying attention, when our phones are quelled and our hearts are still. It takes intention, really. Because though life’s beauty gently unfolds itself to us with each new day, our calloused eyes can easily miss its cues.

So much beauty fits within the quiet creases of our lives, those modest minutes that make our days. But in this culture where sunsets are advertised for followers and hearts are bled out for likes, it’s easy to get caught in the loud clamor of competition.

I am struck by the dichotomy between Jesus and His disciples in today’s reading. On various accounts throughout the Bible, Jesus asks for many of His miracles to be kept private, and as He walked through Galilee, He did so with a desire to be unseen.

Meanwhile, the disciples were “discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest” (Mark 9:34). And I think we can all relate to that, right? Because we all have a desire to be seen, we all have a desire to be liked. We all want to be at the top, or be the best at whatever it is we’re doing.

But the beautiful thing about it is that we don’t have to fight for attention the way our culture seems to portray. We don’t need perfect selfies or eloquent words or an abundance of followers to be noticed. We need only our hearts—tattered, bruised, and broken—to rest in the quiet stillness of God.

Because He sees us. He knows us. We are safe with Him.

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Sit with stillness today. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet and turn away from your phone for a little bit.

Brittany Calavitta is an enthusiastic advocate for a good book, strong coffee, and a hopeful heart. After battling years of infertility, she and her husband welcomed their first child on September 11, 2016. You can find out more about her here.