Talk to God

Turn off phones and talk to God, says archbishop

	From:The Irish Independent Monday, 7th June, 2004
	IF people switched off their mobile phones, took off their headphones and turned off their TVs for just one day a week, our nation as a whole would be better off, the Catholic Primate of All Ireland said yesterday. Archbishop Sean Brady said he was convinced that if people did this "for just one day each week to make space for reflection, prayer, conversation with God and with others, particularly their family, they would notice a significant improvement in their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being and, as a result, our nation as a whole would be better off". Dr Brady said Ireland's reputation as the "land of the welcomes" is "being reduced to a commercial facade, a mark we wear for tourists, an essential part of the Irish brand". He was speaking on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Cistercian Abbey of Duiske, Co Kilkenny. He said that until recently "we had a great tradition of welcoming people into our country and into our homes". However, many of us now have "an increasing concern that the sincerity and spontaneity of our sense of hospitality is being lost to the more individualistic and aggressive forces at work in our society". It is these forces, he warned, that were turning "our reputation for hospitality and neighbourliness into a commercial facade". Praising the Cistercians for the life of contemplation which they cultivated, he said it was difficult today to appreciate the value of contemplation when we "live in a world of constant noise and incessant rush". Dr Brady said: "Our ears are constantly exposed to the ceaseless chatter of talk radio, the rap and pop of digitised and downloaded music and the endless melodies of mobile phones as they ring in the street, the car and yes, even in the church. "The monastic tradition is a powerful reminder of the need to recover this sound of silence, that sacred space in which the still small voice of God can be heard within our souls." He said that if we can accept "the discipline of diets", then we can also accept the need to "exercise discipline in regard to the soul". Duiske Abbey was founded on June 6, 1204, by 12 Cistercian monks. It was part of the explosion of the Cistercian Order throughout Europe inspired by Bernard of Clairvaux, one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity. Five hundred monasteries were founded within the space of 100 years. STRESSED-OUT city slickers will soon be able to unwind by making their own pilgrimages to Glendalough with the completion of a new Hermitage Retreat Centre Project. Nestled high on the hillside overlooking the Wicklow beauty spot, parish priest Sean O'Toole joined forces with locals to initiate the centre as a millennium project five years ago. Costing over €1m, it involved the careful restoration of St Kevin's Church, the building of five self-contained retreat centres and a meditation garden. With stunning views of the nearby mountains and lakes, it serves as the ideal spot for anyone looking for a slice of calm away from the daily grind. During his first official visit to Glendalough in his new role as Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin blessed the centre after a special Mass to mark the Feast of St Kevin. He described it as a very significant day andtold parishioners in his homily how he wanted to see the area become the spiritual core of the diocese. and emphasised its importance in religious history. It's clearly an area close to his own heart, having held the title of Titular Archbishop of Glendalough before being appointed as Archbishop of Dublin five weeks ago. "It's an amazing place and I want to find ways which will enrich the capabilities of Glendalough. This will be somewhere where you can come for a moment of solitude. It's not running away from life but a way to re-charge your batteries. Then when you can go back, you feel more able to deal with things. There's so much pressure now on people," he told the Irish Independen David Quinn Religious Affairs Correspondent