Reflections from Mirfield

Ruth Vonberg looks back on the chaplaincy retreat

Photo: pro.corbis.com

The peace that I was privileged to experience at Mirfield during the Chaplaincy’s silent retreat prompted much thought and reflection. Below are a few of the ideas I wrote down at the time. I do not propose that these are necessarily correct assertions, or that they will be relevant to everyone, but I hope that they will lead to further discussion and thought.

Words

Words reduce everything to human standards and to human form. They are easy to say, but are often said with little or no meaning. When not meant, they are without God — they conceal from us his mystery and splendour. They cover our lives with falseness; they remove meaning. Words that are meant sometimes cause pain and suffering and God is not in these either. Some words are said without true care and consideration; our voices are then not treated as a gift from God. He wants our words to portray his love, portray himself. All words should therefore be carefully measured to ensure they give true glory to God and do not bring contempt and ridicule to His name.

Acceptance

It is accepted at Mirfield that eating, sleeping and noise are necessary. Food is not something to be resisted or countered. It is not a competition to see who can cook the best or the most elaborate dishes. The brothers do not compare what they eat to what anyone else eats; each knows how much they require and eats according to their needs. Food is treated as a gift and mealtimes are a time of worship, as these gifts of God are contemplated and appreciated.

Noise is unavoidable. But the way in which the brothers move is so calm that noise is limited, footsteps are naturally quieter. There is no pretentious walking on tiptoe; no one tries to pretend noise doesn’t exist. It is part of life, and if this part of life, as with any part of life, is lived with true care and reverence, noise need not disturb, nor distract from continual worship.

God’s Presence

All of the things we think and do in this world are without purpose when we do them on our own. Business, noise, talking, singing, watching TV: all have no meaning when we approach them without God. Until we come to everything with God’s peace in our hearts, nothing has meaning. The brothers take the knowledge of the presence of God with them everywhere they go and into everything they do. The modern lecture theatre at Mirfield felt out of place in that sanctuary of holiness, until Friar John began to talk calmly and steadily, bringing God’s presence into the room. The video player and the projection screen seemed impure and out of kilter with God, until Friar John used them and somehow imparted the love of God that is ever present in him, to the use of the machinery and hence to us. When we bring God into everything we do, all of our actions become pure and are done for the right reasons. If we bring God’s love into everything we do, we will avoid anything that cannot be made pure and holy because his love will simply not allow us to carry out that action. In this way our entire lives may come to be an act of worship, encompassing purity and holiness.

Justification

If I can say that every minute of the day has been spent doing things, or just being, in a prayerful, holy manner; if I can justify my achievements and attribute them to God; if I can be comfortable with what I have said and done; if I can be sure I’ve done no harm; then I can say that it was a day well spent, and my life on that day was not lived in vain.

Ruth Vonberg