Fr Reg Howard SSC. Photo: St Columbans Mission Society
Cartoons touching on Covid-19 have flourished. One that summarized my reaction to my reality was of two small boys, faces completely obscured by long and unruly hair saying to a similarly obscured parent ”Hello Mum” and the response was “I’m your Dad!” The other, a grandson in 2060 saying to his grandfather “Grandad what did you do in the Covid-19 war?” The first touched on my reluctance to go out of my house. (I have had only two haircuts in four months!) The other cartoon reflected how I have passively followed instructions from civic leaders and have had a relatively easy few months. Hardly front-line service.
Many have had and are having a much tougher Covid-19 experience. Being retired, I’ve had no job worries. Aged pension suffices with something over for Vinnies and Caritas. A Columban house in Strathfield, NSW, shelters me and my health is fair. Covid-19 has so far been easy enough. Being retired before Covid-19 meant that I had settled into a daily pattern of prayer, Mass, reading, computer usage, study, exercise, meals, social contacts, TV watching, telephoning family and friends - all backed up by a flexible timetable. So apart from ministry and outside social activities, no real change in my daily life happened. I have used the telephone during Covid-19 more than usual to keep in contact with family and friends and my telco provider generously gave me 3 months of free calls to anywhere in Australia.
But one major change was needed due to the virus. Formerly, Columbans in Strathfield would come to where I live for weeknight evening meals. That ceased and my house companion, Fr Patrick, and I then took turns to provide an evening meal for the two of us. We did well but also enjoyed it when family and friends dropped in samples of their home cooking.
Being in the vulnerable age group (I am 86) meant that I could obey with alacrity our Prime Minister and Premier. Since March, medical visits have been my only outings until recently. I told one medico, “This appointment is my big social outing for the week!” Sharing a house with Fr Patrick, a younger Columban colleague, meant he could do all the shopping for foodstuffs and household needs. Now in late July I am a little more relaxed about going to visit friends but I still avoid places where there will be groups of people. So, while I attended some funerals in these months, observing social distancing breaking down at the “wake” I have been leaving after the church service.
The restrictions on my movements meant that my regular ministries of Masses with the aged, in a secondary college and local parishes all ceased in March. I missed both the opportunity to minister as well as the human interaction. In the last three weeks, my Mass for the aged has resumed and I am enjoying being back with the “oldies”. Their monthly birthday lunch with food and laughter is also good for my morale. As yet the college and parish Masses haven’t resumed.
Being a vulnerable “oldie”, I found myself thinking about my mortality. Though not being aware of anything serious in my health profile, reality had to be faced. How were things between myself and God? For a long time, I couldn’t say that I had a heartfelt love for God, my love for God seeming to be a head thing rather than a matter of the heart. Then during the lockdown time, God gave me a wonderful gift: a strong sense, even physical, with a leap of the heart, that indeed I did love God. It only lasted an instant and hasn’t repeated. But God had come to my rescue.
My prayer hasn’t changed markedly in these months – possibly a little more spontaneous and flexible, more Lectio Divina and less John Main. Concelebrating Mass daily at home with my house companion, we have always prayed for the abatement of the virus, for the victims, for essential workers and their families, for civic leaders tasked with making major decisions, for those who have no income or shelter through Covid-19.
I have often read of and spoken to people who miss not having access to the Eucharist at this time. Even though they may access a Mass online or have developed devotions in lieu, their pain of deprivation has touched me and I realize how privileged Fr Patrick and I have been.
The Prayer of the Church has always been important for me, despite the demon of distractions. I see it these days as a prayer for a world and its people coping with the scourge of the pandemic. My hope and trust in God haven’t faltered. The Old Testament readings at daily Mass this year bring hope as they recall God’s forgiving response to contrite prayer. May I take from this time a deeper sensitivity to the suffering of the deprived in Australia and elsewhere and also a more passionate response to God’s love for me.
Columban Fr Reg Howard lives at St Columbans, Redmyer Road, Strathfield.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
