Page 36 - LOTN Issue 45

FAITH AND CULTURE

mentions. To keep its legs cool in the intense eastern heat, text is the only species of bird which drinks by sucking up
the Stork rubs his own droppings and urine on his legs. This water like a horse. All the other species collect water in their
system of keeping cool is called Urohydrosis. bills, upend them, and gravity does the rest. And the thrush
And when the stork disappears to spend the winter in the prophetic text has a name Philomen, from the Greek
months in the African savannah, to return in the spring, goddess with the glorious voice.
the time of growth and new birth, would Jeremiah have When Our Lord told us to ‘behold the birds of the air’ in
associated that with the birth of babies as we do today? the "Sermon on the Mount", we have the highest authority
And would Jeremiah realise that the dove in his scripture for our pastime.

Perhaps ... generated such a sense of global solidarity. At the same time,

thanks to the television and computer screens, he really was the
good shepherd, ready to give a much-needed, socially-distanced
hug to those who were most in need of it.
BY SR JANET FEARNS FMDM We’ve seen unparalleled generosity during the past few
months and spontaneous, life-changing initiatives which
brought sunshine to the darkest days. The Thursday evening
o Christmas is coming up soon and you’re finding it “clap for the NHS” offered a fun-filled, socially-distanced get
hard to get excited about it. It’s been a very tough together alongside the recognition of those frontline keyworkers
year with one thing after another happening: who went above and beyond the call of duty. (My community
Sworking from home, schools closed, furlough, job gathered outside our front gate with any noise-making
insecurity, shielding, lockdown, empty supermarket shelves implement we could find. I favoured a wooden spoon and a tin
because some people were panic buying, social distancing… tray. One of our neighbours played his trumpet. BT workers
You can add to the list because you will know exactly what merely sounded the horn of their vehicle – and certainly made
has made the most impact on your family. Perhaps you’ve plenty of noise!)
had the anxiety of having a parent in a care home where, Even in the midst of tragedy, there were causes for laughter.
although the care is fantastic, you’ve not been able to visit, When my young niece died unexpectedly, her distraught parents
something which has also been in the background – or the discovered that, for several days, neighbours quietly brought
forefront – of your thinking for several months. cooked meals which they left at the garden gate so that my sister
Then there has been the testing which has been more or less and brother-in-law didn’t need to think about food. But those
successful depending on the situation. False positive results wonderful neighbours also, in their thoughtfulness, left their
haven’t exactly made life any easier, have they, as you’ve self- carefully stockpiled toilet rolls from the local supermarket. In
isolated for a fortnight? the end, I think that my sister and brother-in-law had enough
Add to that, the sadness of death with or without the influence toilet rolls to last some considerable time – but what a beautifully
of Covid-19 and the difficulties associated with organising a sensitive and practical idea!
funeral at a distance and possibly being unable to attend because Of course, you will have enjoyed unusual opportunities for
of the restrictions in place. walking, cycling or taking other exercise alone or with others. I’ve
For many, there’s been the heart-breaking turmoil of being lost count of the distance I’ve walked. At one point I calculated
tethered to the phone for updates on the condition of a critically that I’d covered the equivalent of walking from Godalming
ill relative and you haven’t been allowed at the bedside. in Surrey to Aberdeen – where I was offered a virtual cup of
We’ve all been there this year, haven’t we? coffee – but think that by now I’ve walked far more than the
It doesn’t take much to think of the hardships of the 1,111 miles between Land’s End and John O’Groats. Might I
coronavirus pandemic: we’ve all been deeply affected by it, far be somewhere in Norway or Sweden? Dunno. (Incidentally, the
beyond the need to carry a face mask and use the hand sanitiser. journey is apparently only 837 miles if you cheat and travel by
As you read this, very few people will be finding life has returned car. Cyclists, for some unknown reason, pedal for 874 miles,
to normality in any shape or form. according to Wikipedia.)
Yet there have also been many positives which have nothing …and when you were freed from lockdown, wasn’t that first
to do with testing for the virus. We’ve been able to attend trip outside the front gate exciting? Of course the second wave
Mass online in churches across the world, often a fascinating made some people irritated and many people scared. Nobody
experience. Sharing daily Mass and the various Holy Week seemed to know what would or would not control the virus.
liturgical celebrations with Pope Francis was wonderful and One thing, however, seemed certain: everybody wanted to

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