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Dear Parishioners and all those who logged into our Parish,

greetings and the blessing and peace of God be upon you and in you.

This morning I celebrated Mass at my home and included all the intentions of our Parishioners and extended family and friends, asking God to keep us all safe during these days. Celebrating alone was most unusual but then it was most unusual for you not to be attending Mass in Church. These strange times demand strange responses from all of us. We are told that our lifestyle must change if we are to contain the coronavirus. We all have a part to play and we can not afford weak links in this. People’s lives are at risk, and by people, I mean people we love and know.

I also, this morning, tuned in via webcam to the end of Mass with Fr Peter McAnenly in Armagh Parish(8am), and with Fr Pat Hannigan in Killeeshil Parish(11am) and Msgr Curry in Beragh Parish(11.30am)(they were at the Liturgy of the Word when I tuned in). Who would have thought that attending Mass in this remote way would be acceptable – yet this will be the way for a while. And those who had knowledge of the funeral arrangements in Beragh this morning will know that there were restrictions on the numbers attending the Mass in Church. These restrictions are the exception – the new reality is that the celebration of Mass in Churches with webcams is private. The same restrictions regarding numbers also includes wedding Masses. For Baptism please contact me to arrange.

St Patrick’s Day: my understanding is that Archbishop Martin will celebrate Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh on Tuesday at 11am. for the nation. I intend to join him for the celebration of Mass via the Cathedral webcam which can accessed at www.armaghparish.net

With regard to anniversaries – when I have arranged to celebrate Mass via the webcam in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Ballygawley sometime next weekend – follow the Parish Website for information about this – I will include those anniversaries arranged for this week and next Saturday evening/Sunday morning – namely: Marian Shields, Patsy Farrell & Dec Family, Joe & Mary Gavin, Kathleen McKay, Patrick & Rose Ann Tierney, Mary Herron, Mary McFadden RIP. When this emergency passes families can arrange new dates and times for families to gather in the Churches.

I thought I would share some thoughts with you on the Sunday readings. Intercom, a Catholic Pastoral and Liturgical Resource magazine that I receive monthly gives a thought on the readings:

First Reading: from the Book of Exodus 17:3-7.

Security can be more attractive than freedom, and the Chosen People often complained that while they were in captivity, they at least knew where their food and drink was coming from. They had to learn to depend on God.

Responsorial Psalm: 94: 1-2. 6-9 with the response – O that today you would listen to his voice: ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Second Reading: from St Paul to the Romans 5:1-2. 5-8

Paul insists that what proves God’s love for us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. In this, Paul is being autobiographical: he was overtaken by God’s love while he was engaged in persecuting Christians. It was reflection on God’s mercy towards himself that motivated Paul to keep proclaiming the Gospel of mercy to others.

Gospel: according to John 4:5-42

This long Gospel reading is a gradual getting-to-know-you, in which an outcast, jaded, cynical woman comes to recognise Christ as her personal Saviour and the Saviour of the world.

My few words:

Jesus crossed many lines when he encountered the woman at the well.

First of all, she was a woman. In the time of Jesus women’s views on most aspects of life would have gone unheeded.

This lady was a foreigner. The Jews – and Jesus was a Jew – didn’t have much time for foreigners and especially Samaritans. They believed that they were the Chosen People, chosen by God and this coloured their attitude to non-Jews.

This lady also had a past – some would say, a colourful past – her townspeople shunned her – she came to the well alone and at a time when others would not have come.

Despite all this Jesus engages with her and forms a relationship with her. She talks about her life and her faith – and Jesus accepts her as she is and directs her in her spiritual life. In fact, he directs her towards himself, the Son of God.

So, what does this encounter tell us about God and our relationship with God?

God accepts all of us, we are human beings made in the image and likeness of God so God recognises us as his own. No matter what kind of past we have, or baggage we carry in life, God accepts us just as we are. God might not like the kind of human being we have become but God continues to love us nonetheless.

And we should not be afraid to express our views on life or faith – never be afraid to think for yourself – such thinking can sometimes teach the so-called experts. If we are open to God speaking to us, as was the woman at the well, then we can allow our lives to be directed on the right path towards God – a God who loves us without reservation – and live a life that reflects that love.

What does the Word of God say to us today in this extra-ordinary time of the coronavirus situation?

The first reading reminds us to depend on God. We can all tune into God through prayer – anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Water from a rock seems impossible but nothing is impossible for God. The thirst for knowledge on combatting the coronavirus comes from the medical experts and their advice concerns protocols on handwashing, and what to do when we sneeze and about crowd sizes.

The woman at the well was shunned by her neighbours and townspeople yet they listened to her and took her advice to go to see Jesus. In these days we are being asked to care for each other and look in on those who live alone and maybe far from neighbours. The challenge may be that I have a relative/family member or neighbour that I haven’t spoken to or interacted with for some time. Now is the time to put aside grudges, feuds, quarrels.

The woman at the well took a chance, a risk with Jesus and it turned into a Good News story.

During these days – keep safe – be sensible – take care of each other. May God bless and protect us and let us continue to pray for each other.