This reflection was written by Catherine for the week St. Brigid's newsletter. 

Dear Friends,

Someone on the news today observed that “no one does a pandemic well”. How was it for you today? Did you find some magic that took you by surprise, or was it one of those days that’s mostly hard going all the way through?

Today my solace was a bunch of purple hyacinths. I bought them Monday at the flower shop near Granville and Davie when I strode out of the house, on my mission, full of resolve before 8:30 in the morning.

I brought them home, took them out of their brown paper, jammed them into a tall pitcher and set them on the table beside my laptop. What an achievement, I thought, a walk and flowers before breakfast on a Monday morning and the day went very well and productively. It was a death-defying act of insurrection and faith it seemed to me. But Tuesday, yesterday, was another challenging Covid day. I strained against the inertia until I found my footing again at 6:30 when I met with our intimate little community that gathers Tuesday evenings for Contemplative Practice. 

Our numbers are growing slowly, and an organic synergy is emerging in our increasingly shared leadership and practice. Last night was Taize. Next week is Centering Prayer, or maybe the Jesus prayer or Lectio Divina. The last week of the month will be loving-kindness meditation again.
Come and join us!

What’s to fear in the world, after all, when you can drop into a Zoom group on a Tuesday evening for one lovely hour of communion and prayer and song and silence with friendly souls who will welcome you so warmly? It’s such simple refreshment, like a piece of warm bread and butter, or the perfume of hyacinths that speaks of spring and something beyond that is thrilling and true.  

Take care,
Catherine