Pic Life

Now is the time to cling to Jesus

By Moira Billinge

Sebastian was almost beyond consolation when his grandfather died. Nothing seemed to be able to distract him from his all-consuming grief. Despite people trying their best to comfort him, the ache latched on to his first thoughts when he awoke and stayed with him for the rest of the day.

He was normally a philosophical and upbeat character. There is, however, no rehearsal in life to equip us for the raw pain of the death of a loved one. Regardless of any previous experience, a death is always a unique occasion. As the day of his grandfather’s funeral approached, Sebastian, who had hoped to be able to do the Readings at the Mass, was feeling so very unhappy that he confided in advance to the celebrant, Father Andrew. The priest took hold of Sebastian’s hands. ‘Just cling to Jesus,’ he said. ‘Cling tightly to Jesus.’

These simple but profound words sliced through Sebastian’s grief. He repeated them to himself, constantly, during the ensuing days, and again as he climbed up to the lectern to read for his grandfather. In the years since, whenever he has encountered a problem, he calls to mind Fr Andrew’s words and he has indeed clung tightly to Jesus.

We are in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of people have died from it across the entire world, and many more are extremely ill. Covid-19 is all-embracing. It does not discriminate, afflicting people who were previously well and those already sick. It is sweeping greedily, ruthlessly and relentlessly through all age groups.

Relatives and friends cannot travel to be at the side of their loved ones, either in sickness or in death, and nor can they meet in a group to comfort one another. Life as we knew it bears no resemblance to life as it is now. Churches are closed. We are celebrating Mass and other services and devotions online. Shops, businesses, restaurants, gyms, schools, universities … almost everything is shut and we are on lockdown across the entire globe. Most hospitals are at breaking point and others are gearing up to cope with the sickness which is, almost inevitably, going to come their way.

History has not seen this happen before and we know not what the future holds. We have no precedent on which to base our calculations, estimations or predictions, but we have endless examples of utter heroism from countless people: health service workers, police and fire services, delivery drivers, shop workers and so many more individuals across all walks of life.

Regardless of what is happening, and no matter how much better or worse things may become, our wonderful God does not stop loving each of us more than we can ever realise. In these uncertain times, His love for us is our only certainty. We have to continue to trust Him and echo the words of St Peter: ‘Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life.’ (John 6:68)

For many, this has been an opportunity for spiritual growth as we have been afforded this extra time to pray and to reflect on the Scriptures. Extra time to ponder what our faith really means to us, this precious gift of God, and the life and the love of Jesus. In Psalm 26 we are asked to ‘Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord.’ Now, more than at any other time in our lives, we must ‘Cling to Jesus. Just cling tightly to Jesus.’

Catholic PICretreats and away days 2020

To all our lovely readers who supported our retreat and away days we want to say a very big thank you. We have due to the Covid19 virus had to cancel our plans for 2020, so we will not be able to meet for a while. We will let you know through the Catholic Pic magazine when we are able to resume our days out together. If you want to ring for a chat the number is 0151 733 5492. Please leave your contact number if you leave a message. We hope you will all stay safe and well and we look forward to being hearing from you soon. God bless you

Worth a visit - Bala

We must now follow the necessary government restrictions and stay at home and not travel, but in other circumstances during the month of Our Lady we would have found joy in days out in the Welsh mountains writes Lucy Oliver. The picturesque market town of Bala in Snowdonia lies on the shores of the largest natural lake in Wales, Llyn Tegid, and attracts visitors keen on watersports and fishing. Its railway offers a delightful one-hour round trip with wonderful views of the lake and countryside. Bala’s modest High Street is home to the first church outside of Portugal to be dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. In 1917, as three shepherd children tended their sheep, they were visited by the Mother of God. Their example of penance and prayer inspires Christians around the world and brings comfort in times of trouble. In Bala, more than 1,500 miles from the site of the apparitions, a 17th-century stable building was converted to a church in 1948, the first Catholic church in Wales since the Reformation. Later that year, the church welcomed the oak statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Blessed by the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, the statue reached Bala in procession, while many walked in pilgrimage.