VIRAL THOUGHTS - LENT AND CORONAVIRUS

LENT AND CORONAVIRUS

‘In God I trust and will not be afraid’ (Ps.56.11)

THE sudden arrival of an unwelcome guest into the life of our nation has caught most by surprise and the consequences of having to live with coronavirus for the foreseeable future will take time to be understood.  The virus’s arrival in Europe may have happened some time ago, but it was at the beginning of Lent it began to make itself known so Lent and the pandemic seem closely connected. 

AFTER Jesus had been living a normal life around the shores of Galilee he seems to have suddenly been drawn south, to the Jordan, by the preaching of his cousin, St. John Baptist.  He must have been aware of the way people were being affected by John’s radical message and the changes it was making in the way people lived, yet it wasn’t until he arrived at the Jordan that he seems to have been affected.  It was then that the Spirit suddenly descended on him and he was driven into the Wilderness for that Lenten period of forty days (Matt.3.13-4.11). Now, we also seem to have suddenly entered such a wilderness period, which also reflects the ‘forty years’ spent by the Hebrew people in another desert (Ex.22.15ff) which they had entered after their liberation from slavery in Egypt.

This motif of suddenly finding yourself in a place of disorientation happens from time to time.  A sudden illness or accident thrusts one into an unexpected place; at the outbreak of World War II, for example, people must have been filled with a variety of concerns:  Will I be safe?  How will I get food for the family?  What will happen to my job?  What will be the consequences?  Will I die?  We’re hardly prepared for such times and, for a while, it can affect us in unexpected ways.

As the Hebrew people began their wanderings, they, like Jesus, had to adjust to life without their accustomed norms. So, they began to want to return to Egypt where life seemed better, wondered from where food would come and, after panicking (never a good thing to do) gave themselves over to ‘eat, drink and be merry …’  Moses had to remind them of what was of fundamental importance, which was to be rooted in their relationship with God.  Perhaps this is a time when we, who live in a society where, for many, the greatest desire is to travel to Disneyworld, need to reflect on what is of fundamental importance to us: what we would like to be remembered for – momento mori.  What is the ground of our being? For both the Hebrews and Jesus this wilderness time was of greatest importance, and Jesus’ three Temptations seem to resonate with our present times.

‘COMMAND these stones to become loaves of bread.’ 

The panic buying and abuse of shop staff that has occurred in some places since the emergency was declared reveal how easy it is for human nature to be corrupted.  No one suddenly turns from civilised behaviour to acting like a vicious animal; corruption has developed over a long time.  Jesus’ response? ‘One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matt.4.4) calls us back to consider the way we seek to live, and the way we have sought to mould the heart of who we are.

              His response also seems to speak into this time when most of us can no longer feed on the Eucharist, Bread of Life, no longer be nourished by Christ’s Real Presence, a loss which is felt keenly by those of us for whom Mass is the ‘centre around which their life revolves’.  Jesus’ response, that we live by every word that comes from the mouth of God touches on the fact that he is the Word: ‘The Father spoke one Word, which was His Son, and this Word He always speaks in eternal silence, and in silence must It be heard by the soul.’ (St John of the Cross, Maxims 21). This is a time when, denied the Bread of Life, we need to feed on the Word in the scriptures. To spend time silently meditating on the Word present amongst all the words we read. What is God saying to us through his Word?

One of the things, I  believe, is that at a time when emotions can get the better of us – fear, worry, irritation, anger etc. we need to recall the gracious words of Jesus in the Beatitudes he taught his disciples and the crowds who followed him: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit … the meek … the merciful … the pure in heart … peacemakers’. This is a time when those who seek to live in Christ need to be expressing those virtues because it’s as easy for the lure of Satan (the Deceiver) to corrupt us now as it was then.  Have we, as a society, been encouraged to chase after the inconsequential, rather than facing what life actually involves?  We need to feed on food which will do more than satisfy our superficial cravings, and to realise that the way we face pain and suffering, the ‘dark’ side of life, help to mould who we are becoming.

‘IF YOU ARE the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written: ‘He will command his Angels concerning you …’  Inevitably people want God to ‘do something’ and can become anxious as to why our prayers don’t seem answered.  Some will say, ‘If God exists, why isn’t he acting?’ and we might wonder the same; but notice Jesus’ response to this temptation: ‘ … do not put the Lord your God to the test’. 

We can wonder why God seems silent at a time like this.  Yet the matter of trust, which this temptation concerns, goes far deeper than simply wanting to test God.  Jesus counters this potentially desolating temptation by saying that we simply need to trust.  We cannot know how the Divine Economy works, how God manages his household, and cannot know the deeper movements that might be going on at this time. 

For a generation wealthy, ‘modern’, First World nations have been spared the kind of conflicts and desperation which some other nations face.  We have thought that we are in complete charge, masters of our destiny, science has solved every problem.  Now we face vulnerability and are being exposed in ways that will reveal so much about both ourselves and the world we’ve created.  A world that is its own master – that doesn’t need God.  A world of competition rather than co-operation, which has seeped into our psyche.  A world which puts self first and looks for distractions to occupy time.  We’ve lived mindlessly rather than mindfully (recollectedly) and the depth of our hearts have ceased to be nurtured by being open to God.  Which leads on to the third temptation.

THE DEVIL took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world … and said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’.
Worship is often laughed at in the West; it’s what ‘religious’ people do with odd services in odd buildings.  Yet it’s clear we worship something all the time – to be human is to be a person who worships.  The great 19th cent. American thinker and writer, Ralph Waldo Emmerson, said:

‘A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will come out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behoves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping, we are becoming.’

To this temptation of the Devil, Jesus responds: ‘Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him”’ (Matt.4.10).  Any society which dismisses the worship of God, the highest Good, but happily adores celebrities or gives itself to the desire for this world’s goods, is in grave danger of being let down.  Of becoming disconnected with the one source of life which can draw us into the fullness of our humanity.  At times like this we need to reflect on what we have given ourselves to, what we worship.

We have the choice, now, of being more God-like, or simply continuing in the way we have lived before.  In the 19th cent. people suddenly woke up to the terrible social conditions in which many lived, many women (in particular) gave themselves to the service of those in need by consecrating their lives to God as Religious sisters nursing the sick, teaching and caring for those in need.  We may not feel the call to such a radical life, but we can wake up to the need to give ourselves to our ‘higher self’ and begin deepening our prayer so we learn heart-wisdom. We need prayer-practices which enable us to open the centre of who we are to God so we can become rooted in the Divine.

             

Holy Week and Easter – simple spirituality

The Lenten Fast prepares us for Holy Week when the depths of our humanity are laid bare. 

Serving with thanks and praise. We may not be able to attend a Eucharist but, more importantly, we can live eucharistically, sacrificially … stop … notice the world around … see something to wonder at … lift up your heart and give thanks to the Creator.  Offer a prayer and your love to God. This is what expresses the essence of the Divine within us – makes us more human. And love your neighbour as you serve them.

Good Friday proclaims the need, in the end, to abandon the centre of our being to God in faith and trust, recognising just how hard might be the future we face – for forty days or forty years.  But this is also a time which offers the opportunity to reflect on how we would like to be remembered when we die – momento mori.

Holy Saturday, when Christ descended into Hell, is a reminder that even in the depths of despair Christ is present. Loneliness can become alone-ness as we turn to Christ, present in the depths. Beneath any view that this is a ‘day of rest’ we need to realise the great work being done by Christ in the deepest parts of our humanity as we abandon ourselves to him.  That work is for our freedom – our liberation through the ‘waters of death’.  At times we’ll feel overwhelmed but, held by God, we can never be overcome and, at the last, will come to new life – resurrection life.  These times of trouble will be overpassed. 

‘For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song’ (Isaiah 51. 3).

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THIS ‘Lent’ offers a powerful opportunity to renew our faith. 
What do I live for?  How does Christ in the Desert speak to me? 

JESUS CHRIST, Son of God, have compassion on me, a sinner.

(Isaiah 51. 3).

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SOME RESOURCES can be found here:
Some Ways of Developing Prayer; Spiritual Communion; Online Worship; Prayer in Anxiety

VIRAL THOUGHTS - FAITH IN A TIME OF EPIDEMIC

None of us can be unmoved by the reports concerning the Covid-19 pandemic which has suddenly infected the world, changing our behaviour and, on an almost daily basis, the way we live.  Some sporting events have now been cancelled and the Archbishop’s of Canterbury and York have just sent out instructions that the chalice is not to be offered for the duration.  This will be a step some find hard to accept, although I know most will understand it is for the common good.  As I pointed out before, to receive only the Host is not to receive less of the grace conferred by the Sacrament – Christ cannot be divided.  It’s one of the reasons why the priest places a portion of a Host into the Chalice before communion.    

This is a time when we depend on those medical experts who are qualified to give good advice, and to make sure we follow it as best we can – and if you’re fed up with singing Happy Birthday twice as you wash your hands, you may prefer to say the Hail Mary – which has the added benefit of being a prayer.  But there are deeper issues which our Faith addresses and I wanted to say a few things about that this morning as it may be our churches have to close.

The world has not faced a pandemic like this since the outbreak of ‘Spanish’ ‘flu at the close of the First World War.  There have been other epidemics – Ebola, for example – but most hardly affected countries outside parts of Africa or Asia.  Now, suddenly, the wider world is involved.  When I look at what’s happening in some places it makes me wonder if we’re experiencing something of the fear, concern and panic that must have affected people when war was declared in 1939.  Will I be safe?  How will I get food for the family?  What will happen to my job?  What will be the consequences?  Will I die?  And older people, those with certain existing health problems or who know someone at risk, are rightly concerned.  More and more cases are being reported of people suffering from anxiety and depression due to fears about the virus.  There’s nothing wrong with feeling deeply disturbed, but we need to have faith that God is with us, no matter what happens.  That is why we pray ‘thy will be done’; in His will is our peace.  With that in mind, Bp. Jonathan of Croydon has written:

‘Our response to the coronavirus can’t be merely pragmatic, still less fearful – it must be informed by our faith in God.  We come into God’s presence recognising our weakness, our sin and our fear – and opening ourselves to be filled again with God’s gifts of faith, hope and love.  In the incarnation of Christ, God comes to share all our human state, including our desire to avoid suffering – ‘Father if this cup can pass from me’, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane – but with complete trust and commitment to do whatever was the Father’s will.  Because he has passed through death and defeated death, we too can approach whatever may come, knowing that God will be walking with us.’

We have faced situations like this before, but from a background of faith.  Not that God will suddenly end an epidemic or plague but that we trust that God will never forsake us.  In His Will we trust.  It’s not that there’s no point in praying for a miracle – there’s every point in praying for a containment of the virus, that those who suffer will be made well and that a cure will be found.  But miracles are just that – they are out of the ordinary.  In the year 1230, for example, when Rome was suffering from the plague, Pope Gregory IX (a holy man and close to St Francis of Assisi) and people carried a portrait of our Lady through the city and the plague ended.  Icon kept in Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, but few in the UK have such faith. 

Looking forward it may be that large gatherings for Mass have to be cancelled – although I hope your midweek Masses can continue as well as times when the church can be open for prayer. Even though we may not be able to receive the Blessed Sacrament, we can continue to feed on Christ through deepening our prayer and Notes on how to do this available here, including some on a tradition known as ‘Spiritual Communion’ and other resources. I’d also encourage you to really listen to our Second Reading this morning from Paul’s Letter to the Romans (5:1-11).

At a time when we might feel fearful of the future, worried for ourselves and those we love or have a sense of deepening darkness, it’s vital that we maintain those practices of daily prayer and bible reading which give us life.  Past experience shows that now is the time to turn to God and say – ‘in Your will is my peace.’  The psalms, in particular, can be a real source of strength in facing the future, and if you cannot attend Mass on Sunday I would encourage you to read through the scriptures for the day when you make your Spiritual Communion.

In an uncertain time like this God isn’t a heavenly insurance policy: Christ was not rescued from suffering but was faithful through it.  In fact, what he experienced only deepened his faith in his Father and, through the Resurrection, was profoundly made whole.  This is what we recall during Lent as we look forward to Passiontide and Easter.  We may have to pass through our own Holy Week, but God drew Christ through suffering into new life.  That’s the faith we have and which we need at a time like this and which, as Bp. Jonathan went on to say:

’In the light of that wholeness and that promise, we can live the life we are given with the joy that Christ gives, day by day, looking forward to the fullness of eternal life.’ 

And with that faith it’s important we allow it to inform our life.

It’s at times like this I realise how fortunate I am to be living in a country with a National Health Service.  And I wonder what it must be like for those who are homeless or living on our streets?  Or who are foreigners amongst us, or refugees?  To be a Christian means to be someone who follows the way of Christ, who welcomes the stranger and shows compassion to the foreigner.  We are not to do what some are doing – fight over supplies, be rude to shop staff, show impatience and anger.  Times like this reveal both the best in human nature as well as what happens when we allow it to become corrupted – and it’s not nice.  Whatever happens there’s every reason why we must continue to show compassion and kindness – anything else would mean we were less than human. 

At a time when it’s important to take sensible precautions, we mustn’t erect barriers but witness to the love of the God who breaks down barriers, who reaches out to embrace us, who heals and reconciles us by the gift of his own body, his own blood, of which we are part through baptism.  As our bishops have written:

‘We continue to be the Body of Christ and in the face of perils and adversity we become yet more the Church, for it is by encountering these challenges in a right spirit and trusting in God that we are forged into the image of Christ and become the people God made us to be.  May we encounter such trials as may come our way in a hopeful spirit.   Let us then be of good courage, sensible and cautious, but not anxious and fearful: and may the light of Christ that he has given to burn in us and… shine brightly in these days.

As we make our journey towards Holy Week and Easter the Way of the Cross will be very much before us this year.  We will be bringing the suffering of many to the foot of the Cross from which Our Lord extended his saving love for the world and for us all.’

Finally, if it helps, the Diocese of St Alban’s have published four ‘Golden Rules’ to help us at this time:

Rule One: think about how you can protect and support your neighbours and stop spreading fear about the other.  Don’t demonise anyone or any group.

Rule Two: Think about who may be suffering more than you.  Let each church undertake an audit of all the vulnerable people you know and share out the responsibility to phone them each day – a friendly voice offers solace when someone is worried.

Rule Three. Don’t give into panic and start hoarding food.  Ask your neighbours what they need and do your best to help them get it because if you’re are self-isolating, you’ll need someone to help you.

Rule Four. Live today to the full.  None of us ever know what the future holds so do not be afraid.  Every time we are tempted to give in to fear we need to make a conscious choice to respond in trust, as the psalmist said:

‘Whenever I am afraid, I will put my trust in you;

in God whose word I praise.

In God I trust and will not be afraid,

what can mortals do to me.’ (56.3f)

So, when you leave Mass this morning, look out for the wonder of God in little things – the buds opening on trees, tiny violets smiling through the grass, daffodils waving in the wind – and let your heart offer thanks. Let us pray:

Loving God,
source of healing and comfort,
at this time of fear fill us with your grace
that the sick may be made whole,
this virus contained and a cure may be found.
Strengthen those who care for the sick,
calm the anxious,
protect the most vulnerable
and help us see your beauty in the world.
This we ask in the power of Spirit
and in the faith of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. John-Francis Friendship
15.03.2020

(Parts of this article reflect the writings of Jonathan, Bishop of Croydon, the Diocese of St. Alban’s and the Dean of Southwark)