Patrick Muldoon

The unprecedented busyness and pace of modern life is well documented by authors, commentators and mental health practitioners alike. I believe that religion and sport have a very important role to play in countering the demands and expectations of today’s culture. When I have been able to cultivate quiet moments in my day through prayer and exercise, it has helped me immensely in the art of slowing down.

I recently went on a four day pilgrimage to Lourdes. 19 years after my last visit, it was such a joy for me to go to the grotto, worship with international pilgrims, participate in the candlelight procession, and immerse myself in the miraculous waters of Lourdes at the piscines [baths], where I experienced the interior peace of God.

The words “Put out into the deep” [Latin translation “Duc in Altum”] resonate with me as I like to spend a lot of time around water. Since making a ‘Duc in Altum’ in my own life, God has led me on some amazing adventures.

I recently spent three days in Waterford and Wexford, two coastal counties that are among the most scenic in Ireland. I was all set for running the Waterford half marathon and cycling the greenway, until an unfortunate fall I had after training in the run up to the race changed my plans. However my trip to the “Sunny South East” helped me to press the reset button and I feel I gained a lot as a result.

I was struck by the theme for this year’s celebration of Day for Life in the Catholic Church “Hope Does Not Disappoint: Finding Meaning in Suffering”. In my life I have learned to embrace emotional suffering and to journey towards finding acceptance, meaning, and healing through it; so that I am at peace with my own personal journey, and guided by it, I can accompany and offer healing and hope to others in their suffering.