Storms, Rituals and Sacraments in times of COVID

 

          An abalone shell, gifted to me by a friend,  remains on my altar near the St Brigid Cross that my parents brought back to me from Ireland. the St Joan of Arc rosary is in the shell, hidden in plain sight. ~ Photo by The Pensacola Hippie. 

   Here in northwest Florida, we are feeling the effects of Hurricane Ida-- which slammed into Louisiana sometime last night.  Today we woke to bands of drizzle, followed by a break, and then more rain. Brian and I did manage to get out to the grocery this afternoon, and we did not see any major damage on our side of town. 

   Anyway, with all the " crap" going on right now, it is hard to be a "sensitive" soul. COVID is still raging all over the nation, there is international unrest and partisan  division over how the United States should have handled that international crisis at this time, Not to mention, the outer bands of " Ida" that we in Northwest Florida and Southwest Alabama are experiencing today leave a literal cast of gray in the sky. 

   On a more personal level, I am doing my best to process the illness of a dear mentor/friend. I'm ding my best to prayerfully and intentionally separate my own  issues regarding terminal illness and death so that I can best  ' carry Christ to her.  After all this is her journey--- I am merely accomanying her along the way for as far as I can go. 

  I've found that small, but meaningful rituals help me remember what my role is in this new dynamic with my friend. Since the only daily communication she can muster right now is texting, I make a point of texting her something beautiful or comforting. One morning I sent a photo of our goofy dog, Harry . Today, I sent her a photo of the seashells which I'd ritually arranged in an artistic order around the abalone shell that is a gift from another special soul sister. This afternoon I walked out into our flower garden and cut some fresh flowers to artfully arrange on the water vase on the altar. { My sick friend LOVES flowers} 

  Rituals-- even my small, insignificant-to-anyone-else rituals help to center my mind & heart. I find rituals especially comforting during literal storms  and the stormy feelings I need to own regarding my sick friend. I also light two altar candles, one in memory of my grandmother-- I feel her presence when I see that flame lit. I also light a candle to honor my friend, whose Earth-light is still here , but no one knows for how much longer. 

  I am grateful for a Christian community that values all forms of personal prayer and piety. My rituals are not mere word prayers, they are simple, yet visceral actions that connect me to God, and the person for whom I pray--  or from whom I seek guidance. 

\ On Saturday Brian and I participated in another communal ritual: one of the peaceful protest. If the definition of " sacrament" is outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace ...,  than I can and will make the argument that for we people-of-faith-- peaceful protesting and other ways of making good trouble, necessary trouble { John Lewis} is a sacramental act. 

                                                 Me, holding a " Black Votes Matter" sign before Saturday's protest. Photo by Brian. 

By participating in the peaceful protest-- a protest that was organized to ensure that Florida's voting laws are not unfairly changed to make voting difficult for some people, I can argue that this action was the outward and visible sign that Jesus' life is The Way for all of us to try to follow. 

  During these stormy times, I am grateful for the rituals of the established Church and  rituals that I practice that bring me closer to God the Creator. My sacramental acts of direct action in my community is just beginning--- we'll see how much in-person work we can do safely. 

In love and liberation for all humans...

~Sarah McCarren 

30-August 2021