‘Be still and know that I am God’
The leader of the Cistercian order worldwide reflects that this period of anxiety, confinement and stillness might also be a time of new awareness of the presence of God
The leader of the Cistercian order worldwide reflects that this period of anxiety, confinement and stillness might also be a time of new awareness of the presence of God
Perhaps our first task as Christians, and as monks and nuns in particular, is to find a way of investing what is going on with sense. At heart, the drama society is currently living through is not so much, or not only, the pandemic, but the pandemic’s consequences for daily life.
The world has stopped. Enterprise, finance, politics, travel, entertainment, sport: all have stopped, as if for a universal Lent. But that is not all. Public religious life has also stopped. There is no public celebration of Mass, no church assemblies or gatherings, at any rate none at which the faithful meet in person. It is like a great fast, a great universal abstinence.
The lockdown dictated by the risk of contagion is presented and experienced as a necessary evil. We have lost the ability to stand still. We stop only if someone stops us. To come freely to a halt has become near impossible in Western (or for that matter, globalised) culture. We do not really stop even when on holiday. Only unwelcome accidents stop our breathless race to draw ever more out of life, out of time and, more often than not, out of others. Now, though, this epidemic has stopped us all, pretty much. All our projects and plans have been cancelled for God knows how long. And have not we, monks and nuns, got used to rushing around like everyone else, ever thinking about our life in terms of future projections?
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £37.50 quarterly
Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.
Already a subscriber? Login
Help us keep The Tablet’s voice independent, clear and far-reaching.
Founded in 1840, The Tablet is the leading independent English-language Catholic weekly, celebrated for great writing, astute analysis, brilliant arts and books reviews and trustworthy reporting from correspondents in Britain, Ireland, Rome and across the world.
Independent, high-quality journalism is at the heart of what we do. The Tablet does not have deep pockets and we are not funded by rich donors. If you appreciate our work please consider supporting The Tablet’s Development Fund. It only takes a moment and you can cancel at any time.
- Support with £5 per month
- Support with £10 per month
- Support with other amount.
