“In danger, in difficulty or in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Keep her name on your lips, never let it pass out of your heart.” (Saint Bernard).
There are certain things that cause me to feel very uncomfortable.
I am very uncomfortable with sitting still in silence and not actually doing anything or achieving anything. I often feel that I have to remain productive at all times so that I am able to add value to my world and my family.
It is a strange sort of thing. And I am sure that any psychologists or psychiatrists reading this will be able to diagnose we with any number of conditions based on my admission here. And yet, I do not mention this to seek understanding, diagnosis or even sympathy. I mention this only to state a fact.
And the fact is that certain things make me uncomfortable. And I have been thinking about why that is today. Not about why it is in a psychological sense – after all, that is nonsensical as I am no psychologist. I am thinking about this in a spiritual sense.
Do those uncomfortable things bring be closer to or further away from God. I suppose that is the true test of anything – words or deeds – whether we are pointing in the right direction towards Heaven or whether the continuation of that behaviour will lead me off the narrow way…
You see, perhaps the biggest problem with the modern age is speed. We do everything quickly. We work quickly, communicate quickly, move quickly and act quickly. Never before in the history of the world was communication (and most especially MASS communication) so instantaneous. Never before in the history of the world has a human being been able to travel at a speed of a hundred kilometres per hour (just on a road in a car) and at a speed of many hundreds of kilometres per hour in aeroplanes, or even at a speed of tens of thousand kilometres per hour in a spacecraft.
And this speed is dangerous. Because our time for reflection is lost. When my mother was a young bride, if her husband annoyed her in the morning, she would have to wait until the afternoon to address the issue with him because he was at work and she was at home and she had no way of contacting him during the day. When I was a young bride, if my husband annoyed me in the morning, I could call, text or email him throughout the day. And though you might think increased communication is a good idea, the increased communication when one is angry or annoyed only makes things worse. Instead, a bit of slowness and a bit of space allows a soul to reflect on the merits of addressing the issue and the way that they wish to address it in any case.
And I have been thinking about that today, as I hold my phone in my hand. And it occurs to me to follow the advice of Saint Bernard before I act in haste. For he said, “In danger, in difficulty or in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Keep her name on your lips, never let it pass out of your heart.”
For with the Blessed Virgin – I will be safe.
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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