Friday Thought with Fr Chris Ferguson

These new innovations include social distancing parties in gardens, to drive by birthday greetings. It was a lot easier when you simply had to appear at a party, now people are requesting photographs and video messages. This week I had to record fiftieth and seventieth birthday messages. Before you jump to conclusions the messages weren’t for Fr Gerard or Fr Michael, that’s next year. The fiftieth birthday message was straightforward, I wished my friend a happy birthday, and explained how obviously her husband was a cradle snatcher, as he looked many years older than his wife. Mind you, I don’t know what that says about marriage or relationships.

The second birthday was trickier, and the occasion had to be handled with care.

The man in question, a long-time resident of Bloomfield would be Derry’s version of Victor Meldrew, on steroids. He must have been born crabbit seventy years ago. As you can imagine, how do you greet or wish such a character a happy birthday? Well, it took me twenty attempts to find the right formula of words. I began the message by wishing the friend in question or former friend, after this, a happy birthday.

Although I explained the word happy was probably wasted on him, so I resorted to wishing him a very crabbit birthday, now he was officially a grumpy old man. If the message was one issue, thinking of a suitable present was another. Even with the shops being closed, this shouldn’t have been an issue, if I had been organised I could have ordered online. Even though the man is a retired painter, he’s not really into gardening and DYI, so that was the garden centres ruled out. The other option I considered, was buying him go faster stripes for his mobility scooter, but he probably would have run me down.

What we have been confronted with these last few months has been the struggle with finding a new type of presence, a different way of being with people. Most families and households probably have contended with birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant occasions. Indeed, social media and the benefits of technology have all played their part in allowing us to celebrate. The one thing many can agree is the novel experience of a different kind of presence. We have the sights, sounds and conversations, which play a vital role in all our relationships. Yet, there is something missing, the phenomenon of bodily presence. Being in physical contact and touch with our family, friends and colleagues, has been virtually impossible with people outside of our own households. The bodily absence of relations, neighbours and friends, may even have heightened our appreciation for our loved ones. We can readily appreciate the fears and anxieties of the disciples as they prepare for Jesus return to the Father.

The followers of Jesus have had their world shattered and torn apart, struggling to cope with a new reality. The dramatic events of Jesus’ death and Resurrection, has transformed their expectations, their sense of living, moving and acting in the world. Now after the post Easter joy, the shell-shocked band of Jesus’ friends, have to contend with the absence of Jesus’ familiar way of being present. Something has changed through the seismic event of the Resurrection, Jesus is no longer bound physically, his resurrected body, knows a new level of existence. Jesus’ isn’t abandoning his disciples, he asks them not to be afraid, he will send us another advocate. In the gift of the Holy Spirit we encounter the life of the

Father and the Son. We can still experience Jesus’ resurrected bodily presence through gathering as the people of God, aware of our dignity through baptism as temples of the Holy Spirit. We encounter Jesus’ bodily presence in the celebration of the sacraments and through the occasions of our genuine Christian witness.