This morning Fr Andy drove us to Thornhill for our next funeral. Of many strange aspects to the situation that we all find ourselves in at the moment, funerals have to be one of the most difficult. This time it was me taking the funeral. The funeral directors were excellent as was the attendant from the cemetery, but the humanity that I am so used to sensing at the heart of these moments is very, very difficult to express. The small number of mourners are mostly spread out, and you can feel the absence of those human touches that normally can bring such comfort - the hug, the shared tear etc. How many would have wanted to be there...
Anyway, we decided to not take the absolute quickest route back (naughty, naughty) but circled through Thornhill and Lisvane. All these roads that I now know so well - mid-morning and all practically deserted. A few people here and there, some thinking we might be two coppers I think in disguise! Two blokes in Fishguard Road chatting out in front of their houses at a good distance that Andy told me he has seen every time he's walked along there. A nice little moment.
And then you wonder what is happening behind all those front doors. Life is going on, kids and elderly, the fit and the less fit. You and me. Life goes on. I couldn't help but feel a bit like a shepherd whose sheep are all hiding in the woods.
Hi Canon,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how each of us feel at this time. I found your reflection:
"I couldn't help but feel a bit like a shepherd whose sheep are all hiding in the woods."
fascinating.
I feel more like someone who has gone on a long journey. Now instead of Mass just locally I can be almost anywhere in the world - time zone permitting.
I can chose the simple option of 10am each day at St. Teilo's, or I can log on to https://www.churchservices.tv/timetable/ and find a Mass from somewhere or another every 30 minutes of the day.
I know, that Pope Francis said: "the ideal of the church is always with the people and with the sacraments - always" (homily -17th April 2020) but having Church so readily available feels like a bit of a luxury and receiving spiritual communion is a new blessing, and pleasant surprise.
I agree it will be nice to receive the Lord actually, not just spiritually, in the future. But for now I feel like I am exploring not hiding and looking forward to when we will be back together again.