Reflection
To live at peace
More years ago than I care to count I took a trip to Ireland with a group of school mates. We crossed from Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire and stayed in Youth Hostels as we explored the region surrounding Dublin.
I think that it was on our first night, a Saturday, that we stayed at an hostel just to the west of the city. We were a group of young men so not surprisingly we got chatting to a small party of young women who had escaped from the city for the weekend. We were not a very holy group but in course of the evening we were persuaded by our female friends to accompany them the next morning to Mass in the nearby Catholic church. I am quite certain that our motive for going with them to Mass had more to do with hormones than religion! Sadly the girls had to leave us later in the day as they returned to Dublin while we carried on with our trip which took us, a few days later, to Glendalough. For thousands of years people have been drawn to ‘the valley of the two lakes‘ for its spectacular scenery, rich history, archaeology and abundant wildlife. We enjoyed walking round the beautiful lakes and found it to be a most inspiring place.
It is home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. The early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed what has come to be known as the ‘Monastic City’.
This consists of a number of monastic remains, and the most impressive being the Round Tower which stands 30m high. The main group of monastic buildings lies downstream near the Round Tower. I have subsequently revisited the place as an adult and discovered a little more about its place in Christian history. I owe the following, which is taken from his book Celtic Daily Light, to my friend Ray Simpson.
“Kevin’s desire for solitude was realised when he made his home in the cave near the two lakes of Glendalough. There he developed close relationships with even the wildest animals.
It was said that, when he prayed for one hour every night in the cold waters of the lakes, a monster used to distract and annoy him by curling itself around his body, biting and stinging him. In another story we learn of a monster in the Lower Lake which brought terror to the people who lived there. Kevin did not banish this creature as an enemy; it was said he took it with him to the Upper Lake. There his prayers, his patience and the warmth of God’s love in him made the monster feel that there was nothing to be hostile about.
This story can also be understood as a picture of our inner life. We all have dark or wild monsters lurking within us, things we dare not face. Kevin teaches us to embrace the shadow side of our lives, without fear, so that there is nothing in our lives that we have not made peace with.
Lord, help me to understand my own story
To fear nothing except fear itself
And to live at peace
With myself, the creatures and the world.”