Last week it was World Mental Health day. In the past, I would not have paid much attention to this day. But since joining religious life and having been ordained a priest, the issue of mental well-being has been very much on my radar. And amid my concerns for others, I often forget my own mental well-being, which is a classic case of how it goes.
In a community where I lived for a while, we had a monthly community meeting with an external coach from ITIP. The coach facilitated our conversations about things that matter when starting a new community. We learned to listen to each other's struggles and triumphs. But we also learned how to see that we were all suffering mentally from the same uncertainties which characterise any new community. At times the conversations were difficult, but I think, in the end, it made us a better community.
But as the community grew more substantial, I felt something was not ok for me. Finally, the coin dropped. Unless I took care of my mental well-being first, the rest of what I tried to undertake would be in vain except for those moments when God’s grace worked through my brokenness. And so I embarked on a new journey, learning to care for my own mental well-being. I was greatly helped by a psychologist who somehow coached me to find new ways of dealing with difficult situations. It helped immensely at a personal and a pastoral level during the Covid-lock downs.
Reflecting on the theme of mental health in religious life a bit further, I came across an article that claimed that the Christian tradition seems to have forgotten its ways of dealing with mental health issues, especially its practices of what nowadays is called mindfulness. The focus then was not so much on breathing but on reading as a way into contemplation. As an academic, the latter seems more sympathetic, but lately, I have learned to appreciate the former through Tim Stead’s book (indeed, a book) See, Love, Be. Mindfulness and the Spiritual Life. Tim Stead is an Anglican vicar and associate of the Oxford Mindfulness centre. This book is not explicitly aimed at Christians, but Stead offers just enough hints for Christians to make sense of mindfulness from a Christian perspective. And maybe I should also read his other book, as that seems to be more explicit in making the connections.
Closer to home, my Dominican formators tended to pay less attention to the contemplative parts of our tradition that can be found in the works of Thomas Aquinas, Catharine of Siena, and Meister Eckhart. So, here lies a whole field I can explore in dialogue with the questions of the people I encounter. First and foremost, I hope it will help me discover the power of Dominican contemplation for my own life.
So, I can say that I am thankful for World Mental Health day this week, as it made me reflect on a dimension that needs more attention in my religious life right now. May Saint Dymphna of Geel (Belgium), patron saint of psychologists, intercede for all of us so that we may rise when we fall and keep the faith while we struggle. Amen