The woman at the well

This has been a strange day and, sadly there are more like it to follow.

Yesterday, our diocese, like many other dioceses in Ireland and throughout the world, took the decision to suspend the celebration of Public Masses.  This decision, not easily taken, was to help in universal efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19.  During the week, our Taoiseach called for no further indoor gatherings of crowds in excess of one hundred people.  To support this call, the decision was taken to suspend public celebrations of Mass where it can happen that crowds in excess of that number gather.  In most parishes, daily Mass would not attract congregations reaching that number but, when reflected upon, the decision taken included the suspension of daily Masses as well to facilitate people not gathering in number and to help in the avoidance of situations where the virus could unwittingly be shared and to help in reducing the number of those who might need medical attention, given the immense pressure already placed upon medical personnel.

So this strange day began with the realisation I would not be celebrating Masses this evening with the people of Urlaur and Glann, nor tomorrow with the people of Kilmovee and Kilkelly.  Though I will celebrate Mass, it will just be one and on my own, without congregation.  This seems so alien to me since I believe Mass is the great gatherer of people and I have, throughout my priesthood, relished those gatherings and been enriched and blessed through them.  We are designed to interact with other humans so to be alone flies in the face of my understanding.

Yet, of course, our belief is that we are not alone.  Angels, Saints, people of our past who have gone before us and the friendships and connections we have with people will stand with every priest these days as he reads God’s word, prays for forgiveness and reaches upward as he hold host and chalice in hand.  As he reaches upwards, God reaches down and gathers the prayers offered and pours out blessings on those in need.  So I have to get my head around that and believe that when I say “The Lord be with you”, there is a thunderous response “and with your Spirit”.

Often wonderful things happen when two people seek to encounter something meaningful and the gospel we read this weekend is one such example.  The woman at the well.  We are all familiar with her and the banter exchanged between she and Jesus.  “Give me a drink of water”, he asks.  “You have no bucket”, she replies “and the well is deep”.  She was telling him he hadn’t a chance and she relished it!  He knew the well was deep but not the one they sat beside.  The well was her soul and her spirit and he knew he had to reach long and dig deep to get to the heart of her, and bring to the surface the goodness in her.

He did!  She found that goodness and went to call others to meet “a man who told me everything I ever did” – and yet, knowing everything she ever did, he sat comfortably with her and brought her to a better place.

In these days of COVID-19 when we are asked to be socially distant, there is no denying the wisdom in that since, like our decision to suspend public Masses, it allows room and lessens the risk of transmission of illness but we must long for closeness again and never lose sight of the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well.  You could not imagine them shouting at each other with six feet between them.  This was a close and personal conversation and ultimately led to a place of joy and gathering where even more people were brought into the moment.  They came, listened and were convinced to a point where they said to the woman: “We no longer believe just because of what you told us – we have seen and heard him ourselves and know that he is the Messiah”.

Let us long for and do all in our power to hasten the day when people can sit side by side again and where strangers need have no fear of one another or striking up a conversation.

I look forward to the congregations again, the choirs, the music and the faces.  I hope too, that I’ll have the eyes to spot the face in the crowd that might need to sit by the well and chat.

God bless you all. God protect us all.