Father John Wrote...Father John Wrote...In his October letter Father John wrote of being "at peace" with God and his creation, and how we can see this in the life of St Hildegard of Bingen. When I read this and began to think about it I was reminded of another phrase that perhaps begins for us to indicate the way that we can live beautifully, "The Sacrament of the Present Moment".
But what do we mean by that? In today's culture a great deal of money, time and energy is spent looking at our past. There are ways that we need to deal with our past before we can move on, but it can become a passion that overtakes our lives. We are also encouraged to spend time and effort looking into the future, making our lives better, having more money and thus more possessions. Also right and proper to a degree, but this too can become an all-consuming obsession.
All this time, energy and effort looking backwards and forwards can leave us unable to value and enjoy the only thing we can do anything about, the present moment. At this moment we are alive, surrounded by God's creation, free do with this second what we will before it is gone for ever. The second before has gone and the second to come is not here yet. Living beatifully and at peace with all that is around us means living in the present moment, in the God-given gift of this moment.
My response to Fr John's letter is to try and live in the present moment, to thank God for the gift of it and to use it as He wills. What's your response?
Elizabeth Pook
