Spring is here, albeit veiled in grief... but lift the veil, allow hope to lighten your soul

I must admit this week’s question of faith has been hard for me to write.

What should I write about? What can I say that will soothe your souls, inspire you to press on, encourage you to live life to the full?

Once again, in the seeming blink of an eye, our world spins out of control and everything is uncertain, unknown; fear once again breathes its icy breath down our spines.

It seems we must expect the unexpected, take absolutely nothing for granted and our hopes and dreams, which we could almost touch, once more seem to disappear from our sight and out of our grasp.

Who knows the what, how and why of things in these uncertain days?

Looking forward to when this article will be published in a few days time, I dare not think what may have happened in Ukraine and indeed in our world.

In living memory for most people, March has been about the beginning of spring, as all around us new life is bursting forth.

Days becoming longer; jobs to do in the house and garden; holidays to prepare for.

We celebrate quite a lot in March. The first of March is St David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales, and celebrations include wearing daffodils and leeks. March 29 is a day for music lovers to share the joy of the piano. It takes place on the 88th day of the year, for the number of keys on a piano.

There are 21 events on the following website alone: https://www. eparenting.co.uk/celebrations/celebrations_and_events_in_march.php And yet, this present turmoil has quite literally blocked, stopped, curtailed all these events.

Our focus is elsewhere, our energies given to making it through the day if truth be told.

After two years of Covid and now this (whatever this will be called). After taking a funeral today (March 2), I reflect upon a lady who died aged 97 years-old.

She made parachutes for our soldiers in the war, and her late husband was in the Polish airforce based at the site at the current MIRA works on the A5. At the wake, speaking to relatives, it became clear to us that we haven’t progressed our humanity as much as we think we have, we seem to have entered the bygone era of our parents and grandparents.

One mourner said to me: “Father Andrew, I can see now that faith is something that we need at times like this. We need something beyond ourselves to believe in, to hold on to, to help us out of our troubles.”

In truth this brought me up short: “Yes, we do”, I said, “we need hope for better days, to pray for peace to prevail and for our enemies to be overcome.” We need the spirit of our parent and grandparents to be embodied in us.

Thinking afterwards, these words of Psalm 31:24 - NLT came to my mind and began to soothe my soul.

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

May I ask that you seek that hope, meditate on these verses and place your trust in God. Look around at creation, spring is here; albeit veiled in grief; lift the veil and allow Hope to lighten your soul. This crocus has overcome great adversity to show its beauty, literally in my gutter.

March is still the month of Hope, new life and new beginnings, don’t forget it!