The late Niall Toibin, an Irish comedian, made a living highlighting the unique characteristics of people from every county in Ireland.  In his take on the people of Cavan he highlighted their meanness.  According to him, they eat their dinner out of the drawer in the kitchen table, so they would not have to share it with anyone! I wonder what he would have made of this photograph in the Irish Times on 25th April, 2020, showing two children in Cavan enjoying their home made ‘pool’ at the back of their house?

For me, this picture captures something of what we have all had to do over the past couple of weeks during the Coronavirus Pandemic – adapt.

First of all, think of the rapid and successful changes we have made in how we celebrate the Eucharist.  The closure of churches, at the end of Lent and into the Easter season and beyond, has challenged us to engage in a virtual way with the celebration of the Eucharist.  On the down side we no longer meet up with familiar faces as we go to Mass.  On the up side we can go to Mass anywhere in the world and experience something of the richness and universality of the Church in a whole new way.

The pandemic has taught us a whole new vocabulary – social isolation, flattening the curve, PPE – Personal Protective Equipment, etc.  But it may also have taught us another thing –  that although we have not been able to roll up our sleeves and help out in the manner in which we have been accustomed to in the past, we have had a unique opportunity to remember and pray for those who are working on the frontline and for all the families who are suffering in so many ways?

Another new word we have learned during this time is ‘cocooning’. Those of a certain age being asked to stay at home for their own protection and also to help others.  One little girl wrote to her grandmother and was excited that her granny would emerge as a lovely butterfly when all this was over.  This reminded me of my spiritual year many moons ago.  That was certainly a time of ‘cocooning’. I wonder will we all emerge from this as lovely butterflies once more?

So, just as the children have been creative in making their home made ‘pool’, we are invited to be creative as we engage with the upheaval and uncertainty that is COVID–19.  We don’t know when we will be back to ‘normal’ again.  But, we do know, from experience, that there are opportunities for us to grow and love and emerge as colourful butterflies once more.

Anne Lyng rsm
Northern Province