Some years ago I was speaking to a very senior politician in Canada and he used to come to Mass on Sunday and he would stay for the meditation, of course. I was speaking to him alone one day and he said, “I do understand meditation and I believe in it,” he said, “but it’s very difficult for me.” He said, “I’ve been a politician all my life. To be a politician means you have to want to be in control. You want to be in power maybe for the good of others. But you want to control the situation, control the agenda, control the news, control the voters.” So he said, “All my life I’ve been developing this habit of control. I hope for good reasons!” But he said, “It’s my habit.” Then he said, “But what I realize is that saying the mantra is letting go of control, isn’t it?” And I said, “Yes.” I said, “That doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
Homily 23 June 2024 by Laurence Freeman OSB )
