The Snail’s Pace

On living slowly and happily, let us pause for a moment. Now, let us try to think about how often we find ourselves so overwhelmed by duties and deadlines, by the need to always be reachable and on top of things, that we forget to catch our breath and make time for ourselves. How often, then, do we fail to seek the right balance between speed and slowness, to allow ourselves moments of silence and boredom, two dimensions we fear so much and yet that are so necessary and inevitable? Not to mention the last time we stopped to reflect on our happiness, to contemplate the wonders around and within us, the beauty of art, the ancient power of singing, the fulfillment of a chastity that means freedom from possessiveness in every relationship, whether of love or friendship. In a suffering world in which human beings have placed themselves above every other creature, we should instead humbly learn from the little snail: like it, we too function according to a natural rhythm that it is time to rediscover, listen to, and respect if we are to live joyfully. This is the message that Father Maurizio Botta entrusts to the pages of his book, drawing on the success of the catechetical series “Five Steps into the Mystery,” which he conceived, with an eye to the Gospel while also quoting everyone from Pavese and Sartre to Franco Califano and the rapper Anastasio. The young priest undertakes a study of contemporary life that gives us a clear snapshot of the present; with delicacy and honesty, he invites us to reflect on aspects of everyday life that are often taken for granted but are essential to reclaiming a space of serenity amid the frenzy of our times. Edizioni Piemme