Friday Thought with Fr Chris Ferguson

As we were chatting away, I happened to mention I had been watching a great film the night before. By way of answer, he told me he was watching a documentary about Dana. I reassured him; that his secret was safe with me. Genuinely, when got into my car to go shopping I was all lured because I had remembered to bring my bags for life. I was in such good form; I decided to ring my parents to ask did they need any shopping. I thought they wouldn’t have needed anything, as my sister had brought supplies on Thursday. You can imagine my reaction when I was given a list the length of my arm. Luckily, I have short arms as well as short legs. This was made even more evident when the security guard at the supermarket told after I had queued, ‘gone on in, at least you won’t take up much room.’

We both burst out laughing because he was the same height as me. In the mean time I was trying to remember my parent’s list,milk, bread, brussels sprouts, broccoli, soap, ham. Running around the shop I was praying nothing was on the top shelf. People must have thought I was mad, muttering away to myself, ‘milk, bread, brussels sprouts, broccoli and ham.’ In the middle of all the excitement a woman turned around from the bread counter and bumped into me. I thought she was going to collapse through a social distancing meltdown. Although, we both smiled, wondering when we’re ever going to get back to normal. All the while I was thinking, milk, bread, brussels sprouts, broccoli and ham. See, whoever, bought up all the brussels sprouts either fresh or frozen, from the supermarket, I will find where you live. Its all your fault, and everyone else’s fault for that matter, I have written the list out three times already, and on the last two occasions no one told me I had forgotten the soap. As for the brussels sprouts there was no way I was queuing outside another shop for twenty minutes.

Over the last eight weeks have we attended to the most important relationships in our lives? Amid all the lockdown restrictions and social distancing, have we made time to keep in touch with family and friends? Or have we simply used the two months as an occasion to become even more caught up in our own world, oblivious to the needs of our neighbour. In a previous life, we could have become so caught up in our busyness we failed to keep in touch with those we love and care about. Have we experienced these last weeks as a period to reassess what is of most value, or have we found other ways to make ourselves busy or become lost in other distractions? Have we been forced to confront who we are, who we have become, or have we crowded our lives in new way? Genuinely, can we rest easy, slow down, and find time to face what the silences in our lives can teach us. For those who live in busy households, those with family, or carers looking after family members, this is not easy. While others, simply don’t know what to do, how to occupy their time. Henri Noewen presents a relevant challenge when he asks ‘is our prayer a way of being busy with God instead of with people?’ We can turn prayer into our new activity, a new way of filling our day. Prayer can’t be measured, it can’t be quantified in terms of Our Father’s, Hail Mary’s and Glory be’s. Nouwen argues, prayer unmasks our business, usefulness and indispensability. It is a way of being useless and empty in the presence of God, reaffirming our basic belief that all is grace. We are all called to minister as the people of God, to celebrate the priesthood of the baptised, and Henri Nouwen will describe how wasting time with God is an act of ministry. Prayer isn’t simply meant to be Zoom meeting with God, were we’re wondering if we’re saying or doing the right things. To be useless in God’s presence is very difficult, it requires handing over control, surrendering everything and allowing God to speak in the silence of our hearts.