Gone before us marked with the sign of faith.
From time to time we can be very much reminded of those who have died and gone before us. Recently we had the first anniversary of Billy O’Rourke and Patrick Burke, also remembered Chris Browne and now Margaret Westcar who has died recently. They bring home to us what a rich legacy of faith that can be left behind, and at this time I have received a lot of strength and consolation from this knowledge.
It may be a good reminder that the fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom, and then as we give more time and thought to the fruits of wisdom we can come to a better place in ourselves. The words “at ease with” come home to me with the celebration of Mass. In the beginning of lockdown I am sure I shared with you all the same sense of feeling of dislocation, of something very different happening in my life, indeed for all of us.
Concentrating upon having to live and deal with this became very important. My first focus was to locate, and then the need to respond to the words “isolate”. Taking this process into action, suddenly I found I was very much helped by the life of the church. Two things I often say. 1) This time we were fortunate with the weather, and 2) The season is the life of the church. The end of Lent, giving way to Holy Week, and using the wisdom that comes from God to respond to my human situation. Skyping became something new that I could do and was well rewarded. Not having this facility for our parish and the responsibility for it, gave me an opportunity to focus greatly upon the liturgy of the Mass and the Divine Office. Rich experience, emphasising the importance of nourishment for both body and spirit.
This experience of spiritual nourishment, the celebration of the Great Feast, Lent giving way to Holy Week, the Lighting of the Paschal Candle. Christ is Risen from the dead – Our faith will never be in vain. Then turning my attention to the Ascension of our Divine Lord into heaven, and above all Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the faithful. All of this so essential to our lives of faith at this time, a time of great challenge.
So far now, the first words are “at ease with”. For the foreseeable future each Mass with our very restricted numbers will be like our Sunday Mass. Returning to it is everything. This includes unfortunately our human experience, for the moment it appears to be embraced by fear, and so with it a need for spirit of discernment that is necessary to confront the work of the enemy, that always wants to destroy our peace. So please God, the gift of the Holy Spirit with wisdom, will bring good things to those who believe and guided and blessed by those who have gone before us, we too will leave a rich legacy of faith.