Some thoughts for the Third Sunday of Easter
In the Gospel today, two disciples walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday. So much has happened – the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus, the flight of the apostles, and now stories that the tomb where he was buried is empty and some of the women are saying they have seen angels declaring Jesus to be alive. They are talking about these things. It sounds like they are puzzled trying to understand it all – the account hints that they cannot understand how the “the one to set Israel free” could have been crucified – how God could let Him fail so visibly.
We may be feeling something similar about the pandemic. We may be wondering, what is its purpose, how it could have happened or even why has God allowed it? Is God punishing us or humanity? Or has it nothing to do with Him? Is this the result of human greed or human malice? Or is it just random with no meaning at all?
In the Gospel story, Jesus comes up and starts walking beside the two disciples as they are caught up in their discussion. He asks them what they are talking about. They tell Him, amazed He is unaware of the events of the last few days. However, what is significant is that they are so caught up with trying to figure everything out but fail to recognise that the one they are talking about is travelling right there beside them. In fact, even when they explain what has happened, they show that they are so focused on the external events they’re describing that they fail to see the meaning which underlies them and holds them together. That meaning is walking beside them – it is Jesus Himself.
Our time of lockdown gives us the opportunity to stand back from everything – from our normal routines, from the busy and fractious world of politics and from the aggressive competition for power that we see displayed between world powers, politicians or by the media. It is a time to pray and to reflect. It is a time to contemplate the meaning that underlies our lives and our world. That meaning is God, made visible in Jesus Christ. He is present to us at all times but it is easy to miss Him. It’s easy to fail to recognise His presence. Yet, He really is present and He wants us to talk to Him and for us to listen to Him.
A key way to begin to be aware of God is to pray in gratitude. Thanking God for everything we have in our lives, for everything we have experienced today or throughout life – this will give us a deeper sense that everything we have is a complete gift. And it begins to open up our awareness of the reality of the Lord’s presence: everything we have, everything we do, everything we are – it all comes from Him. Gratitude will make us aware not of the gifts but of the Giver of all the gifts of existence.
At the moment, politics, international relations and the media all feel somewhat frenzied. They are caught up in a world of fear, accusation, blame and anger – sadly, it’s easy for us to get caught up in all this just by tuning into television or radio. It’s good to be aware of what is going on – but only if we remember that it’s not all that’s going on. What’s going on out there has the power to tip us into confusion and the splintering of relationships. There is no space to recognise the Lord walking beside us if our attention is fixed solely on the world out there.
The two disciples saw only disaster in the Crucifixion. When the Lord explained the Scriptures to them while walking alongside, they began to see it was really God’s plan, redemption, liberation: not the end of a life but the renewal of all human life. They did not recognise Him at first. But they gave time to listen to Him. And at the Breaking of the Bread that evening, the first Mass after the Resurrection, they finally recognised Him. One thing I am sure of is that God is using this time to encourage us to meet Him, to recognise Him, to evaluate the real meaning and priorities of our lives, to listen to Him and to draw closer to Him.
Being too busy in life means that we often don’t give ourselves the chance to work out if we’re busy with the right things: what is truly necessary in our lives? Only stopping to reflect will help us work that out. Someone said to me that they have felt like a monk or a nun during this time. Maybe we need to be more monastic in our lives. We Catholics, we Christians should pray more than we do. This will give us the space to live life more fruitfully instead of living it frenetically. If we want to find out the meaning of all that’s happening, don’t just look out there. The Lord is walking beside us – “I am with you always,” He says. It’s time to tune in to Him.
Fr. Patrick
Update on ☎️the Telephone Apostolate☎️ from Deacon Peter
During this pandemic, the Telephone Apostolate arranged by our two Parish Councils continues to be an important way to support our most vulnerable parishioners. An average of 100 calls are being made each week, with one call for 50+ minutes (hats off to the volunteer whao made that one!).
We have also had some very nice feedback from volunteers who have offered their own online shopping slots to some of the befriendees to make sure that they have enough supplies in these difficult times, which I think is really rather nice! Once again, thank you to all of our volunteers who make this possible!
Watch Daily Mass from Cathedral House Online
Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To participate spiritually in the Mass, please visit our Facebook page or www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/filming.
Mass Intentions
Although all public Masses are currently suspended, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Jamie and Fr. Tadeusz continue to offer Mass for the parishioners’ intentions. If you would like to schedule a Mass for someone who has recently died, for the anniversary of a loved one or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office and we will help you to arrange a Mass. The Parish Office can be contacted on 0131 556 1798 or email here. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please do not visit the office in person at the moment.
YOUNG ADULTS – RATZINGER READING GROUP
To continue to “grow on the inside”, some people from the Young Adults Group have started an online theology book club together with Fr. Jamie. Each week, we read twenty pages or so of Cardinal Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ and then we meet talk together about what we have read. If you are between 18-35 years and would like to join, please email here.
SCIAF - Wee Boxes 2020
The UK government is matching all donations (£1 for £1) made to the SCIAF Wee Box appeal this year provided these are received by the 20th of May. As both the Cathedral and St Andrews church are currently closed due to government restrictions regarding the coronavirus, we will not be able to collect and submit your Wee Box monies on your behalf this year. Instead, please send all monies you have collected directly to SCIAF, together with the completed base of the Wee Box. You can either post cheques to SCIAF or donate online or over the telephone. Please refer to their website for details: www.sciaf.org.uk.
Emergency Appeal from Bethany Christian Trust
It’s hard to #StayHome when you don’t have a home. When you’re homeless, you are more likely to suffer from underlying health conditions and don’t have the facilities to wash your hands. Self-isolating can seem like a luxury. That’s why Bethany Christian Trust is determined to keep our doors open during this crisis, to do more to assist people and to make sure all of our services stay operational. Homeless people are being hit really hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the temporary closure of our charity shops, we urgently need your help to ensure we can still give vital care and support to those who have nowhere else to go. Please donate today so that we can protect the people who need us now more than ever. You can give by phoning 0131 561 8927 or by visiting www.bethanychristiantrust.com.
We know that this is a difficult time for many people financially. You can help us by sharing this information, praying for our staff and people who use our services or making a donation. Together we can make sure no one is left alone or in danger. Thank you for your valued support at this time of crisis.
The Catholic Universe and Catholic Times
Readers of these newspapers are unable to collect their paper at Mass, but you can get it delivered direct to your home every week, post free. Please go to www.thecatholicuniverse.com or phone them on 0161 820 5722 and they will arrange for you.