Fr Liam Power: Soul work in Advent time

The Christmas season is approaching. At this time, Christians throughout the world celebrate the season of Advent. The themes of hope and waiting patiently are reflected in the readings for Mass at Advent, calling us to be alert and ready, not weighted down by the cares of this world. 

Pope Francis explains that Advent invites us to a commitment to vigilance, looking beyond ourselves, expanding our minds and hearts in order to open ourselves to the needs of people and to the desire for a new world.

I must admit that, as the acute shortage of priests begins to impact more and more, it is so easy to be caught up in the frenzy of meetings, appointments, preparation of liturgies etc. 

Consequently, one could feel justified in neglecting soul work. That would be to succumb to the prevailing culture that leaves us so hungry in spirit. Having said that, as I am now beginning to accept the reality of advancing years (yes, I’m officially old) with all its implications, I appreciate more and more the spiritual opportunities provided by the Season of Advent.

Our time is indeed hungry in spirit. As the poet and philosopher (and former colleague of mine) John O’Donoghue reminds us, we have managed to inflict severe surgery on ourselves. 

“We have separated the soul from experience; we become accustomed to keeping things at surface level; the deeper questions about who we are and what we are here for visit us less and less… If we fail to acquaint ourselves with soul we will remain strangers in our own lives. When we awaken to the light of soul life takes on a new depth.” 

All of us will agree that one of the greatest treasures in the world is a contented heart, a heart at peace. Unfortunately, so much of our culture today is pushing us to deny and ignore the hunger of the spirit. Religious practices and devotions are rejected and ridiculed by institutions of state, media and influencers in popular culture.

In this regard, I believe we could have much to learn from the practice in France. I will reflect on the restoration of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris after the catastrophic fire in 2019 to illustrate my point. I was struck by the fact that the whole population, including the State and Church, worked together to ensure that the magnificent Gothic cathedral would be restored to its former grandeur. 

It was a project around which the whole country would unify. 

President Macron called Notre Dame a metaphor for the life of the nation. He said, “The Inferno was a national wound.” 

The fire had destroyed the roof, consumed the oak framework of the nave, choir and transept, and caused the spire to collapse. (People were amazed that no stained glass windows were damaged or no artwork destroyed.) 

The building of the cathedral took two hundred years to complete. It began in the 11th century and was not finished until 1345. President Macron was determined to restore the cathedral to its former glory even though the estimated cost was a staggering €830 million. 

The government was stunned by the response to the fire. Money poured in from many quarters. Nearly half of the projected costs came from three billionaire families in France. Dioceses in the United States also contributed generously. 

Some people might be shocked, even scandalised by the fact that so much money was spent on the project. But officials soon realised that the cathedral was a symbol of France. 

“A metaphor for the life of the nation” was how President Macron described it.

What I found so inspiring was that the state, that owns the cathedral, could cooperate with the Church to accomplish a magnificent work of restoration. Mass was celebrated in the cathedral for the official reopening on December 8 last. The state appreciates the iconic status of the building for Catholics and Christians, not just in France but throughout the world. 

Its beauty, its grandeur set off by the soaring arches, the sculptures, the stained glass windows, every single facet of the building evokes something of awe and reverence; all of which remind us that the spiritual hungers, the inner life of the soul cannot be ignored. I remember visiting Notre Dame when, as a student, I attended a summer course at the Institute Catholique in Paris. I stood before the facade for hours mesmerised by the magnificence and beauty of the architecture, evoking a deep awareness of the divine Spirit present in the heart and in the world.

I just wish that our government and other cultural influencers and cultural influences would show the same respect to our religious heritage. Buildings like Notre Dame symbolise how generations respond to the big questions - our existential anxieties and our religious beliefs, however diverse - which endure throughout time.