“Be present in God and in the present moment.” This is the motto that Father Philip Carney chose at his ordination when he was 29 years old. “I often found myself getting caught up in worries about the past and projections into the future,” he explains. “I was struggling to pay enough attention to myself, others, and God, so I chose this word as a spiritual discipline to guide my life.”
The Irish-born priest of the diocese of Beauvais in France, who aspires to authentic encounters with others, with God, with the Divine, has expressed the spiritual challenges and demands (he even speaks of a “battle”) of this approach. ) is summarized. It can only be given in this moment. “In both French and English, the word present has multiple meanings. It means both present tense and being attentive to others (being present).” he says.
“I had a hard time paying enough attention to myself, others, and God, so I chose this word. Being in the presence of God and being present in the present moment is my guiding principle in life. I chose it as a spiritual training.
Father Philip Carney
“If you look to the earth, you will see the heavens open.”
Father Kearney developed this presence, particularly through his interactions with people with disabilities who he supports within the L’Arche community of which he is a member. “They have people’s living memories,” he explains. “They remember me as if I left them yesterday. They surrender completely to the joy of life and relationships.”
The Camino de Santiago, which he has been walking for 20 years, is another school for him. “One has to be fully there to see where one puts one’s feet. By looking up I discover trees, birds, animals… By paying attention to earth heaven “This is the Gospel of Creation spoken by Pope Francis.”
His walk opened him to another dimension of the present – the dimension of eternity. “Usually the pilgrimage route goes east,” he points out. “When you walk along the Camino de Santiago, you walk toward the west, toward the sunset. To walk in this direction is to change direction.” Tir na NorgIn Ireland, it is said to be “the land of eternal youth.” It means living in anticipation of this eternal present. ”
stimulate the five senses
Staying in the present is not natural. It has to do with lifestyle habits. Father Kearney always sets aside practice time each day to open the “gates” of the senses. Brandin Morgand talks about the true art of living. This therapist and Vitto practitioner attends spiritual retreats with the Carmelites of Avon (Seine-et-Marne, northern France), where he teaches ways to combat agitation of thought, preoccupation with the past, and anxiety about the future. I am. . “These are simple, concrete exercises that stimulate the senses and help pause mental activity.”
This awakening to receptivity gradually opened her to the joy of the present moment. “It’s not about being me-centered, it’s being within me, at my center,” she says, “where I find God as a believer.” This “joy” and “anchoring” in the present developed the ability to “eliminate” intrusive thoughts, clarify “will,” make “choices,” and make “decisions.” This “conviction” was especially helpful in strengthening her desire to devote herself to the Order of the Holy Virgin.
Sometimes we have to embrace fumbling to find a routine that allows us to be rooted in the present. Touve Ratvondraheti, organist at Paris’ Saint-Eugène church and principal pianist with the Paris Opera Ballet, experienced a true “inner cleansing.” Describing his temperament as “disorganized” and “excitable,” he takes the time to structure his daily rituals (sports, physical stretching, prayer, spiritual reading, etc.) and feels deeply connected. We have made it possible to access the “sacred space” that you feel. “At the moment he is T” — everything around him. “When I’m at the keyboard, I’m so focused that I don’t have to look at the priest or the choir or the dancers, I’m in deep harmony with them. It’s like God’s will is being done in me. “Please allow me to see the grace that surrounds me,” he says.
Enter the thickness of the gift
Philosopher and poet Eric de Roos is committed to asceticism, which he applies to his thinking in order to connect with the present moment. It involves accepting the “skinning” of one’s “judgments” and ready-made “representations,” accepting one’s “limitations,” and making an “act of faith.” “Great art is about laying down weapons and joining life and friendship, and this moment is the gateway to that,” he sums up.
From that moment on, the poet only needs to be guided by what he perceives around him. “Just the chirping of birds or the flapping of leaves is enough to tap into this harmony that resists chaos and cacophony,” he says. “From this point of contact with transcendence, poetry can spring forth, as if formulating itself.” For him, it is Christ who holds the key to the present moment. . “He is my light before me, so I can follow him into the present thickness of my nakedness and open myself.”
