First rule: silence

Editorial Staff

How far we are from the Eastern world, and how much more and more our children will be! I say this after learning the news that the Thai boys, who were trapped in a cave for 18 days, at the beginning of August retired for a short time in a Buddhist monastery in meditation and prayer, dedicating themselves to the temple: in this way they wanted to honor the rescuer who lost his life during the rescue. The boys had previously reported that they managed to remain calm in the darkness of the cave thanks to Buddhist meditation, that their coach taught them. Meditation as a source of strength and as a guarantee to remain “connected” to life. Why don’t we also take time for meditation? And why do we allow our children only the false “connection” through new technologies?

F.Z.

Your question gives me the opportunity to stress the importance of educating our children and young people to learn the art of silence, reflection and meditation. In a world that is virtually always connected, we risk losing two fundamental elements: the sense of reality with its limits and the sense of transcendence. The experience of the Thai boys is a warning to remind us Westerners of the importance of cultivating more the inner and spiritual dimension. At times it is forgotten in our Christian communities and in our families to transmit the primer of the spiritual life, which is the ability to enjoy silence and to rediscover concentration and inner peace. This should be the “first” and “fundamental” lesson in catechism.