The sacred sense of letting life take a pause

Still Points: A Guide to living the Mindful Meditative Way by Bro. Richard OFM Cap (Hachette Books, €14.99/£12.99)

Bro. Richard Hendrick is a Capuchin priest-friar working in Dublin. He wrote a long poem Lockdown which went viral. It was picked up by both the BBC and by CNN in North America. From there it went even further, was translated into 26 languages and inspired two short videos and even musical composition.

Flare

Bro. Richard has taken advantage of  this flare up of publicity to bring out a book on his current interest in trying to bring the insight of the Christian contemplative tradition to a wider public who of late have taken a great interest in modern mindfulness theory developed in America.

The result is a book which many will warmly welcome. Structured around the cycle of the natural seasons, the author tries to draw his readers into a deeper contemplation of the spiritual nature of the way we understand life.

Some readers may be surprised that for instance he gives detailed instructions on how to pray the rosary. But this surely is to be welcomed, for we live at a time when many have lost contact with rituals the older generation took for granted. Bro. Richard, however only provides a guide; it is for his readers to follow the path to learn what they can by the methods he suggests.

That sacred pause is a way of finding the way into the still silent point at the heart of things which mystics talk about.