Michael Kelly
The Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible tells the story of the enslavement of the Israelites in ancient Egypt, their liberation from captivity at the hands of the Lord, their wandering in the desert and the revelation of the Promised Land. Theologically, it is the story of God’s abiding and eternal presence with his people.
This Lent more than most it has seemed that, like the Israelites, we are wandering in the desert. The suspension of public Masses has been acutely felt as people have been unable to gather together to experience God’s presence par excellence in the Eucharist.
It is a time when many people are frightened and uncertain. So it is a time for cool heads and mature Faith. Parishes have responded remarkably by streaming Masses and moving a lot of pastoral ministry online. A few weeks ago, we could’ve never imagined a situation like this and yet people are making the most of a bad situation.
Mischief
Unfortunately, some people are also using it as an opportunity to make mischief and spread fear and even panic. We’ve all been made aware of rumours and half-baked stories doing the rounds about so-called cures and remedies for coronavirus.
There’s also the diabolical phenomenon of so-called ‘chain prayers’ where people are sending around emails and text messages insisting that a particular prayer must be recited a set number of times and then forwarded to a determined number of people or else doom will befall whoever breaks the chain.
This is superstitious nonsense. God does not visit misery upon his people because they do not follow a particular formula, or send a prayer to a certain number of people within an arbitrary time frame.
We do not know how long this crisis will last, but we will continue to adapt and change the way we reach out”
Such things are not from God. And this is why the need for reliable sources of information – both material and spiritual – has never been greater. The Irish Catholic will continue to provide that information, support and solace for readers in the midst of this crisis.
This is an unprecedented challenge for all of us, and it is something that acutely affects this newspaper as we try to continue to be a glue for the Catholic community, giving hope in distressing times. The suspension of Masses has made it difficult for some readers to get a physical copy of the paper as they normally do. We have tried to help remedy this by making the digital copy of the newspaper more readily available and offering a special three-month subscription for just €9.99 (less than half price). I would appeal to you to consider taking up this offer and letting your family, friends and neighbours who may benefit know about it.
We work hard every week to try and ensure that The Irish Catholic is an unmissable conduit for Faith and inspiration. But, without the ongoing generosity and support of parishes, priests, promoters and readers we cannot do this.
We do not know how long this crisis will last, but we will continue to adapt and change the way we reach out to parishes and Faith communities to ensure that we will continue to fulfil our mission of bringing comfort and inspiration.
As we look forward to the resurrection at Easter we know that our world is already changed by the empty tomb, but that the risen Christ still bears the wounds of his crucifixion. As Christians we carry our wounds but always in the hope of a brighter tomorrow and in the knowledge that God is with us.
Our Faith teaches us that this horrible pestilence will pass”
The future is uncertain – but our Faith teaches us that this horrible pestilence will pass. Let’s make the prayer of St Teresa of Avila our own: Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing: God alone is enough.
If you would like to take advantage of the special digital edition and support the mission of The Irish Catholic at this difficult time you can do so online at www.irishcatholic.com