In physical training, moving slowly is often harder than moving quickly and it’s an excellent way to train the body and mind as it challenges our nervous system in new ways. Moving slowly with weights or bodyweight movements can also reveal weaknesses and instabilities in our bodies —and that is a good thing as we can work on improving in those areas to keep us safe and safely progressing.
Moving slowly in our spiritual lives can also be beneficial — and in our time of staying at home more, maybe you are like me and have a little more time to pray, read, reflect in a way that was not sustainable until now.
I am always moved by Scripture when Jesus goes from being super busy healing, preaching and teaching to seeking the quiet to pray. The slower pace, that time of silent connection with his Father in prayer refreshes, rejuvenates and fills Jesus — and us — so that we can grow stronger spiritually and be more like Jesus in all areas of our lives.
That time of peace, slowness and quiet might be a time when God reveals our weaknesses, sins, and moments where we weren’t our best. In times of reflection and discernment, we have the opportunity to learn, grow and move forward better equipped to act in faith, hope and love as we traverse life’s challenges.
During this time of COVID, I’ve been attending daily Mass online sometimes with Father Larry Richards. He is at St. Joseph parish in Erie, Pennsylvania. He loves to pray the Our Father prayer super slow during Mass. He recently said that he gets complaints about how slow he prays the Our Father — which made me laugh out loud! I actually love to attend his Mass because he prays it so slowly. It allows me to listen for the Holy Spirit as we pause and reflect on each and every word. I pray the Rosary daily, and I know that I tend to rush through the Our Father prayers; this is something that became clear to me as Father Larry was praying it so slowly and I could feel my heart open in a new way.
I was discussing this with some friends recently and we realized that the stay-at-home time for some people totally suits their character. They blossom when life is a little slower and quieter and have embraced the potential for more downtime with prayer and reflection. For others, our nature isn’t as suited to slowness — and we may have to work a little harder to appreciate the power of slowness.
St. Gianna Molla said, “The secret to happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.”
This slower time might be a series of ups and downs that we might not always feel like thanking God for. The Martha and Mary in each of us might be colliding as we try our best to serve God and neighbor and our temporal concerns may make the slowness feel uncomfortable.
St. Francis de Sales gives us a good advice, “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if the whole world seems upset.”
I pray that we all, in some way, embrace the slowness and allow it to nurture our souls by bringing us closer to Jesus.