LOOKING DEEPLY AND THINKING DEEPLY
Father John Walsh

Transformation begins with the decision to courageously look deep within one’s “self.” In today’s culture meaning is derived outside of the inner reality of each person. Modernity focuses humanity on that which exists outside the individual, who, in turn, finds it hard to internalize within her or him that which comes from the outside. Time and energy are expended on the objects that entertain but are not meant to bring growth and understanding to who we humans are and who we can become. In non-fashionable language humans live without soul. The neglect of the soul is a neglect of the inner life of each individual person. We are becoming soulless. We pay little attention to ourselves and less attention to others. We live isolated in our own private worlds disconnected from the world around us. Our worlds are worlds becoming smaller and smaller by the day. We are frantic when we lose control over our world. Imagine what a month, let alone a year, would be without your iPhone! The average reaction would be: “simply don’t ask me, I could not do it.” We rely on human inventions for our security and the result is that a growing number of people fear the unknown. In a world where material goods satisfy our every whim it is difficult to speak about “mystery.” However, we are curious to know how things work and to find out what is happening below the surface. On many occasions people are heard to say, I haven’t got a clue how to hook up Alexa or Google and they feel defeated. Then a young person takes control, and, Voilà! And in no time it’s done! What is a mystery for one is not a mystery for someone else! Human life is a mystery and we should not hide from the fact that much of life is a mystery. Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived. There is incredible joy when a person enters a mystery. Entering the mystery, the mystery grows all the more. Within the mystery we open ourselves to different horizons in our lives until we recognize the horizon is infinity and we are captured by the mystery. We enter a mystical world. The mystical experience has two moments, the moment when we are all alone in the mystery and then the moment we are all one with everything. To look into the mystery of human nature and human experience is to stop and think deeply about that which means most to humanity; to love and be loved. The great fallacy of consumerism is that it offers people a fulfilled life; only people who love and are loved understand the depth of the mystery of life which enables them to transcend the limitations of life and enjoy the fullness of life in each moment. One moment of love is life-changing and grows over a lifetime. Ask those who are in love why they are content about their lives!