“Every day as long as this today lasts, keep encouraging one another” Heb 3.13 from the divine office.
Last Sunday was the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus who was baptised in the river Jordan, by John the Baptist. This highlights an idea, “that actions speak louder than words”. But words are so important, as they give meaning to the events. In this case, no sooner has Jesus come up out of the water, then He saw the heavens torn apart, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on Him, and a voice came from heaven “you are my son, the beloved, my favour rests on you”. This gives us a clear picture of the Life in the Holy Trinity of God, which is at the heart of our faith.
Largely, because of the coronavirus, I have spent a lot of hours here in the church. At the moment, when life is dark and difficult for all of us, for me it is one of the silver linings in the dark clouds of the moment. Here in the church the sanctuary lamp stands out in the coming darkness. It is there as a powerful expression of what we hold to be true. The living presence of Jesus is the Holy Eucharist through His promise “The bread that I shall give you is my flesh for the life of the world”. The sanctuary lamp and the stations of the cross have a very special memory for me. Brian Winter was so involved with the decision to bring them forward from the old church, they contribute to the beautiful atmosphere that is in the new church. A Sister who comes to holiday with us for a week each year, mentioned so firmly that she could spend the rest of her life here in this church. We are truly blest with it. So a thank you to Brian, Billy O’Rourke and the team that was with them – a lovely legacy.
A Christmas card made a strong memorable and lasting impression on me this year. It was a picture of Mary with her child sitting on an ass when Joseph as the scripture tells us “to escape, Herod had to take them down to Egypt”. This grounds us in real life when there are so many refugees having to leave their homes. The idea that life is a journey of faith for everybody helps us with our present circumstances. When we were in the seminary, we were full of hope after the Second Vatican Council that a great opportunity was in store for us. Now I draw a lot of consolation from that Christmas card, and the nature of journeys. They tend to be down to earth. But inspiration and consolations are important, and highlights again and again that primarily we are a community of faith, and like Joseph and Mary, willing witnesses to our faith in the Christ child.