faith under pressure

I have been parish priest here at St Begh's for just a little over five years now, and this is the first time that I have been tempted - or moved - to write a homily for this section of the parish website. I wonder if anyone will find it, since this space has been blank for so long. But we now live in 'interesting times' with public Masses throughout the United Kingdom suspended; even the agents of Queen Elizabeth I couldn't claim a 100% success rate in stopping Catholics gathering for the celebration of Holy Mass, but this virus has, and for the foreseeable future too. Therefore a few words here each Sunday seem appropriate now, when they didn't last week.

If you have read the Gospel for today, John 9:1-41, you will remember the man born blind that the Lord Jesus gave sight to through prayer and the application of a paste made from dirt and spittle. This action really got under the skin of the Pharisees, as it was done was done on the Sabbath. The rules are the rules and Jesus, through this act of kindness, had broken the rules - no work on the Sabbath. I suppose that the Pharisees believed that six days were good enough time for healing people, but on the Sabbath you were to rest and praise God. Jesus contended that mercy has no limits, nor does it worry about what day of the week it is. There was a fundamental difference in understanding between Him and His opponents. And since we believe and confess the Jesus Christ is Lord we will go with Jesus’ understanding when we must make a choice.

Here on Saturday morning, the first day when priests in this country were asked to celebrate only a private Mass, I was in church and had reached the point in the Mass where the Gospel is proclaimed. There was suddenly a noise from the back of the church, or the front, depending on which way you look at the church. It was a postman wanting to know where he could put a package. Despite both Father Richard and I being in liturgical dress he didn't seem to understand what was going on. No criticism of him, but it does show you how little known today are the mysteries that Jesus has instigated. Perhaps he just saw two blokes in fancy dress; I didn't have a chance to ask him, as I just thought it simpler to tell him to place the package on the chair next to him. Maybe you remember an ABBA song, The Day Before You Came, where the lyrics describe an everyday life continuing before the arrival of the singer’s new love, which had changed everything. The blind young man in the Gospel had had an ordinary daily life too, which was radically changed by his encounter with Christ. We give thanks for the work done by the postman who delivered the package to the church on Saturday, (bread for Holy Communion as it turned out, made by the Cistercian nuns at Whitland in Pembrokeshire), and all in our postal services who are keeping us in contact in this time of isolation; may they all be kept safe, be treated with respect, and honoured for what they do. Equally let us daily pray for the safety of our medical professionals, for all NHS staff, for carers and for the school staff now being drawn into the care of vulnerable children and the children of parents with Reserved Occupations.

During this time of isolation and concern, perhaps even bereavement, we must open the eyes of the blind do a Christlike response. Even if we are criticized for our Gospel inspired actions we must be like our Saviour and show mercy whenever it is needed. Let us take seriously the need to love our neighbour by protecting them as much as possible from the virus. Let us keep social distancing, hand washing and sanitising. Let us take seriously the need for those over seventy or with underlying health conditions to self-isolate and stay away from them without losing contact with them. (We give thanks for the work of families and friends who are already helping those who are self-isolating; may they never tire of their life saving work.) Let us telephone people and ask them how they are doing. If they need help let us give it in such a way that we do not put them in danger of infection. We do not stop helping, we just help with an eye on the possible spread of the virus. But above all we pray. We pray at home, we pray at work, we pray in the church, and we pray when we must go to the supermarket. Perhaps especially when we go to the supermarket, as there the spirit of selfishness seems to be most powerful at present. We pray that the Spirit of the Lord Jesus will shine forth from us to our neighbours, bringing peace, calm, hope, fortitude and wisdom. May we open the eyes of the blind through the action of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. May our words and our actions speak the same message of mercy. In many ways this is our moment to convert our beloved country to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

May the Lord bless and keep you this week, both from physical and spiritual harm. May your families rejoice in your good health and in their own, and may the Lord deliver us from this persecution as soon as is most suitable for us.

Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for us.

Saint Sebastian & Saint Roch, pray for us.

Saint Begh, pray for us