Oblate News

Spirituality in the 21st Century

An evening with Fr. Frank Santucci OMI, Kilburn, London

The evening got off to a great start, with 50 parishioners excitedly waiting in anticipation to hear what Fr Frank had to say on Spirituality in the 21st Century. Fr Frank started by explaining that spirituality is not just for the saints and mystics but for us all, and that we each have our own spirituality, even though we might not be able to name it.

We each encounter God in our own way and this ‘God’ focus is different for each of us. But whatever this focus is, it impacts on how we look at the world, ourselves and God. It is the centre of our spirituality and everything radiates from it. Fr Frank used the image of the inside of a mechanical watch – when one cog turns it causes all the others to turn, everything is connected. It is the same with our encounters with God, they can change the way we look at ourselves, others and the world. And we can encounter God anywhere and everywhere, in the animals and nature like St Francis of Assisi or in the pots and pans like St Teresa of Avila.

All too soon Fr Frank finished his presentation, inviting questions from the floor and giving people the chance to share some of their stories. Everyone went home feeling uplifted and hoping that it wouldn’t be long before Fr Frank returns to Kilburn.