Week 2: Finding Peace

 Psalm 46: “Be Still, and Know That I Am God" 

 Read this slowly: 

 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore, we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her right early. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 

Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire! "Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth!" The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 

 REFLECT (Reread it): • "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Not distant. Not absent. Present. • The imagery is chaotic: earth changing, mountains shaking, waters roaring. Life can feel like that. • But then: "Be still and know that I am God." In the chaos, there's an invitation to stillness. • You don't have to create the stillness yourself. It's a gift God offers. 

 RESPOND (Talk to God): What feels chaotic in your life right now? What mountains are shaking? Talk to God about the turmoil. Then ask Him to help you be still, even for just a few minutes. 

 REST: Repeat quietly to yourself: "Be still and know that I am God." Let your breathing slow. You don't have to fix anything right now. Just be still. "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." - Psalm 145:18

Coming Soon: A Gentle Introduction to Prayer Through the Psalms

Six weeks. Six themes. One ancient prayer book that still speaks today.

If you've ever wanted to learn how to pray but didn't know where to start, this guide is for you.

Next week, I'm launching a free six-week prayer guide designed specifically for seekers and beginners—people who are curious about prayer but intimidated by religious language, unsure of the "right" way to do it, or simply looking for a gentle entry point into the spiritual life.

What Makes This Different?

This isn't a program that assumes you already know the vocabulary or have years of church experience. It's designed to meet you exactly where you are, with no prerequisites and no expectations.

Each week focuses on one accessible theme:

Week 1: Taking the First Step – Starting a prayer practice when you're not sure how
Week 2: Finding Peace – Learning to quiet your mind and heart
Week 3: Being Honest – Discovering that God can handle your real feelings
Week 4: Experiencing Wonder – Opening your eyes to beauty and awe
Week 5: Asking for Help – Bringing your actual needs to prayer
Week 6: Finding Gratitude – Cultivating thankfulness as a way of life

Why the Psalms?

The Book of Psalms has been called the prayer book of the Bible—and for good reason. These ancient prayers express every human emotion: joy, anger, fear, gratitude, confusion, and hope. They've been prayed by Jews and Christians for thousands of years, by people in every circumstance imaginable.

What makes them perfect for beginners? They're honest. Raw. Real. They don't ask you to pretend everything is fine or to use language that doesn't feel like your own. They teach us that prayer isn't about performing for God—it's about showing up authentically.

What You'll Need

• 15-20 minutes a few times each week
• An open heart and a willingness to try
• No religious background required

That's it. No theological degree. No fancy prayer language. Just you and a centuries-old conversation with the Divine.

A Personal Note

I know what it's like to feel like prayer is for "other people"—people who are more spiritual, more religious, more practiced. But prayer isn't about getting it right. It's about showing up honestly, wherever you are on your journey.

This guide is my way of extending a simple invitation: Come and see. Try it for six weeks. See what happens when you give yourself permission to pray in a way that feels authentic to you.

Mark Your Calendar

The free downloadable guide launches next week. Watch this space for the announcement, and feel free to share this with anyone who might be curious about taking their first steps into prayer.

Sometimes the most profound journeys begin with the simplest invitation.

Are you ready to take the first step?

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Want to be notified the moment the guide launches? Drop a comment below or make sure you're subscribed to receive updates from Saintly Journeys.

Coming When Called: The Gospel Invitation to Follow Reflections on Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. 

There's something beautifully abrupt about this gospel passage. Jesus doesn't offer a theological dissertation. He doesn't present credentials or outline a detailed ministry plan. He simply walks along the shore and says, "Come after me."

 And they come. 

Simon and Andrew drop their nets mid-cast. James and John leave their father in the boat, mending half-finished. The text gives us no record of their internal deliberations, nor any mention of weighing pros and cons. Just the call, and the response.

 This is how the kingdom breaks into ordinary life—not through our careful planning, but through divine interruption. 

Meeting People Where They Are 

Notice where Jesus finds these first disciples: at work, hands occupied with the familiar rhythms of their trade. He doesn't wait for them to come to the synagogue or complete a period of formal preparation. He meets them on the shore, among the nets and boats and fish. 

This is the heart of what we're about at Saintly Journeys. We don't wait for seekers to find their way to traditional spaces or master religious vocabulary before beginning the conversation. We meet people where they already are—scrolling through social media, searching online for meaning, wrestling with questions in the middle of ordinary life. 

Jesus's "Come and see" approach didn't require his first disciples to have it all figured out before following. They learned by walking with him, by being in relationship with him. Our ministry embraces this same spirit of invitation over interrogation, companionship over credentials. 

The Time of Fulfillment

 "This is the time of fulfillment," Jesus proclaims. Not someday. Not after you've gotten your life in order or completed your spiritual checklist. This is the time. Now is when the kingdom draws near. How many of us spend years waiting for the "right time" to respond to God's call? We tell ourselves we'll pray more deeply when life calms down, we'll explore our faith when we're less busy, we'll answer that tug toward something more when we feel more qualified.

 But Jesus's call to those fishermen reminds us: the time is now. The invitation comes in the middle of the ordinary, and it asks for an immediate response. 

That's why Saintly Journeys exists in digital spaces—because people are searching, questioning, feeling that pull toward something transcendent now. We can't wait for perfect conditions. The kingdom is at hand today, in this moment, wherever you're reading these words. 

Becoming Fishers of Men

 Jesus promises to transform these fishermen's existing skills and experiences into something new: "I will make you fishers of men." He doesn't ask them to become something completely foreign to themselves. Instead, he reorients their gifts toward a greater purpose.

 This is God's pattern with each of us. Our backgrounds, our experiences, even our questions and doubts—none of it is wasted. God takes what we already are and invites us into a larger story.

 As fellow pilgrims on this journey, we don't claim to have reached a spiritual destination. We're simply further along the path, extending the same invitation we once received: Come and see. Walk with us. Let's discover together what it means to follow. The nets can wait. The familiar can be left behind. The kingdom is breaking into your ordinary life right now.

 What is Jesus calling you to leave behind today? What might he be inviting you toward?

Is This Your Year? An Invitation to Walk Toward the Light

 

Looking at this powerful image that graces our new beginning, we see Christ reaching out His hand toward us—an eternal gesture of invitation, of welcome, of divine love beckoning us forward. His outstretched arm breaks through the luminous background, reminding us that He doesn't wait for us to find our way in the darkness. He comes to meet us, extending His hand into whatever shadows we inhabit, calling us to follow Him into the light.

A New Beginning, A Timeless Invitation

Welcome to the reimagined Saintly Journeys.

As we stand at the threshold of 2026, everything feels fresh, bright, and full of promise. You might notice something different here—a lighter, more radiant aesthetic that reflects the very heart of our mission: walking toward the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. This isn't just a visual refresh; it's a recommitment to the fundamental invitation that has echoed through two millennia of Christian witness.

Come & See: An Invitation to Discover Christ.

These simple words—lifted directly from the Gospel of John—capture everything we're about. They're the same words Jesus spoke to those first curious seekers, the fishermen who wondered who this rabbi might be. "Come and see," He said, not demanding immediate commitment, not requiring complete understanding, simply inviting them to take a step, to draw closer, to experience for themselves.

And that's precisely what we're inviting you to do here.

The Question That Changes Everything

Is this your year?

It's a question we often ask ourselves in January. Is this the year I finally get in shape? Is this the year I change careers, write that book, repair that relationship, break that habit? We stand on January 1st like travelers at a crossroads, sensing possibility, hoping for transformation, wondering if this time might be different.

But what if we asked a deeper question? What if, beneath all those perfectly valid aspirations, there's a more fundamental inquiry waiting to be voiced?

Is this the year you finally respond to Christ's outstretched hand?

Is this the year you stop circling around faith and step closer? Is this the year you move from curious observer to committed disciple? Is this the year you stop merely learning about Christ and actually encounter Him?

Look again at that image of our Lord. His hand isn't tentative or uncertain. He's not passively waiting at a distance. He's actively reaching, extending, and inviting. The light surrounds Him, emanates from Him, and He's stepping toward us with that hand outstretched, as if to say: "Here I am. I've been waiting. Will you come?"

The question isn't whether He's ready for you. He is. He always has been. The question is:

Are you ready for Him?

Come & See

John 1:35-39 (RSV 2^nd Catholic Edition)

"The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, 'What do you seek?' And they said to him, 'Rabbi' (which means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour."

Jesus could have given them a theological lecture or demanded immediate conversion. But that's not what He did.

He said to them, "Come and see."

This is the pattern of authentic faith: Come. Taste and see. Draw near. Seek. Faith isn't passive—it's a response to an invitation, a step toward the Light, a hand reaching back to grasp the hand already extended toward you.

Meeting You Where You Are

One of the things I love most about that image of Christ reaching toward us is that His hand extends into our space. He doesn't remain in some distant realm, waiting for us to make our way to Him. He comes to where we are.

Whether you're a lifelong Catholic or a convert like me seeking deeper spiritual formation or someone who's never set foot in a church but finds yourself drawn to questions of faith—you're welcome here. Your questions are honored. Your search for truth is precisely what led those first disciples to Jesus.

I'm not a theologian with letters after my name. I'm a layperson, a fellow pilgrim who has experienced Christ's love and wants to share that with others. 

As I often say, God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

Walking Toward the Light in 2026

This new, brighter theme isn't just aesthetic. It represents a fundamental truth: we're always moving, always journeying, always being drawn forward by the Light.

Walking toward the light means making daily choices to align yourself with Christ. It means choosing virtue over vice, truth over deception, love over selfishness. It means getting up each morning and deciding, again, to follow Jesus.

It means engaging in spiritual practices that keep you oriented toward God: prayer, Scripture reading, sacramental life, and acts of charity. These aren't arbitrary religious hoops to jump through; they're the very means by which we maintain our connection to the Light.

But here's what walking toward the light doesn't mean: It doesn't mean perfection. It doesn't mean never stumbling or doubting. It doesn't mean you have to have it all figured out before you take the first step.

I stumble just like all of you. I created Saintly Journeys to remind myself of these truths, and I want to share them with all of you.

Christ's hand reaches toward us in our imperfection. He invites us to come as we are. His light doesn't expose our darkness to shame us, but to heal us.

What Awaits You

Throughout 2026, we'll offer accessible spiritual formation that meets you wherever you are and helps you and me together take the next step toward Christ. Throughout the year, I will be posting blogs and other content, reflections on the liturgical year, and practical guidance for deepening your prayer life.

The point isn't just knowledge—it's helping you respond to Christ's outstretched hand and walk toward the Light.

A Personal Word

As I write this, I'm mindful of my own journey—from that Cursillo weekend where I heard God's call, through years of learning and growing and stumbling and getting back up, to this moment of launching a new year and a new expression of our ministry.

 I'm mindful that I'm a layperson in central, Florida, trying to be faithful to a calling I never anticipated. I'm blessed by my wonderful spouse, who supports this work, and by the Orlando Diocese Cursillo community that shaped my faith. I'm mindful of my studies in spiritual direction at the Avila Institute, which continue to shape me as I walk alongside others seeking Christ.

But most of all, I'm mindful of grace—God's absolutely gratuitous, unmerited, lavish grace that has transformed my life and continues to transform it daily. None of us deserves the invitation Christ extends. All of us receive it as a pure gift. The only appropriate response is gratitude, and gratitude expressed through action: accepting the invitation, grasping the hand, walking toward the Light, and inviting others to do the same.

That's what Saintly Journeys is about. That's what "Come & See" means. That's why we're here.

Your Next Step

Don't let this moment pass. You've read this far, which means something resonated. Don't let that fade into background noise.

Take one concrete step today:

• Share your email, first name, and any thoughts in the Come and See section. (I will hold your information within and will not share it; you will only receive emails from saintlyjourneys@gmail.com)
• Explore our available programs
• Commit to one spiritual practice—daily prayer, weekly Mass, regular Scripture reading
• Reach out with your questions or your desire to go deeper

The Light is shining. The hand is extended. The invitation is offered.

Is this your year?

Come and see.

A Blessing for Your Journey

As we begin this new year together, I want to leave you with a blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you as you take your next step toward Him.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and illuminate the path before you.

May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace—the peace that comes from knowing you're loved, you're invited, you're welcomed into the very heart of God.

May you have the courage to grasp Christ's outstretched hand.

May you have the perseverance to keep walking even when the way seems difficult.

And may this be your year—the year you respond to the invitation that has been waiting for you since before you were born.

Welcome to Saintly Journeys. Welcome to the Light.

Come and see.

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Randy Schwingle is the founder of Saintly Journeys, an online Catholic evangelization ministry. A Eucharistic Minister at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Wildwood, Florida, he is active in the Cursillo movement and studies spiritual direction at the Avila Institute. Responding to Isaiah 6:8—"Here am I. Send me!"—Randy creates accessible resources for spiritual formation and outreach.