In her long-awaited new book, Sister Stan draws upon her memories of childhood and the special moments of awareness and mystery which have nourished and enriched her life.
As she offers simple reflections to help us focus on the many gifts and blessings that surround us each day, she enables us to connect with our inner world and the deep, nurturing silence that lies within.
TRANSWORLD IRELAND
An imprint of The Random House Group Limited
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA
www.transworldbooks.co.uk
MOMENTS OF STILLNESS
A TRANSWORLD IRELAND BOOK: 9781848270589
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781409081401
First published in 2009 by Transworld Ireland,
a division of Transworld Publishers
Transworld Ireland paperback edition published 2011
Copyright © Sister Stanislaus Kennedy 2009
Sister Stanislaus Kennedy has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Addresses for Random House Group Ltd companies outside the UK can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk
The Random House Group Ltd Reg. No. 954009
Sister Stanislaus Kennedy is an Irish Sister of Charity and the founder and life-president of Focus Ireland. She is also founder and director of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Young Social Innovators and the Sanctuary, a place of peace and stillness in the heart of Dublin.
She has been instrumental in developing and implementing social-service programmes that have benefited thousands of people in need throughout Ireland and Europe. For this work, she has received many awards, including Honorary Degrees of Law from Trinity College Dublin, the National University of Ireland and the Open University. She has also received a presidential medal from New York University and a prestigious Meteor Humanitarian Award.
She has written four bestselling books, Now Is the Time, Gardening the Soul, Seasons of the Day and Stillness through My Prayers.
I wish to express my appreciation and gratitude to Treasa Coady, Sile Wall and especially Siobhan Parkinson, who encouraged, supported and assisted me with the various drafts of this book and helped me to bring it to completion.
I remember the first time I heard the dawn chorus. I was about twelve years old, and I stood at the back of the house, beside the river, where the montbretia and the fuchsia were in full bloom against mountain ash and oak trees. The glorious song of a multitude of birds broke over me, and in a moment that is still alive for me today, it was as if I had never heard birds singing before. I began to wonder if they always sang like that and I just hadn’t noticed. As I stood and listened to the birds pouring out their song above me, and gazed at the beauty around me, it felt as if the day grew brighter and brighter and everything around me grew still. In fact, in those few moments, time seemed to stand still and I remember the feelings of awe and wonder which took me over. It was as though I was standing in the presence of something very special, something beyond sacred.
It is very difficult to express what this experience meant to me, but when I look back at it I know it was one of the most significant moments of my life – a very special moment of awareness and mystery, for, quite suddenly, this very normal day had become extraordinary to me. And although I forgot about it for many years, I know now it was a spiritual moment too, one which drew me into a stillness that has remained with me. Right through my life, wherever I have lived, in the country or in the middle of the city, and no matter what the demands and the pressures of life, I have always sought out opportunities to experience moments of stillness, to access that special peace. Indeed, I wrote this book in the Sanctuary, a spirituality centre which offers space and silence, stability and stillness, to all who come here, and which is located in the heart of Dublin.
I feel blessed and so lucky to have had the chance to experience nature in all its glory at this young age, for I’m aware that young people are rarely still long enough to heed special moments such as this. Bursting with energy, and with so many ‘things’ to do, young people often fail to notice these precious moments.
For me, nature provided the opportunity to connect with stillness, but the world of art, music or poetry can also have this effect. Even a sudden loss, or illness, can bring new meaning to our lives, for we are taken out of the everyday world and our attention focuses on the other world that is always present but not always seen. It is as though a curtain is raised and we see things clearly for the first time; we know that there is another dimension to our existence.
Moments of stillness are so very important because they can bring incredible gifts of understanding. If we allow ourselves the time to be still, matters of concern can often be brought into perspective and we see more clearly the path ahead or the solution to a problem. It is at times like this that we come face to face with reality and, free from the constraints of time, we get a glimpse of the eternal order beneath it. We may see ourselves no longer as isolated individuals, but in communion with everyone and everything; we experience ourselves as part of the whole of creation, not just human life, but all the life of the planet, past, present and future.
you