Breaking the Mould

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Along with over 100 others from across the Archdiocese, I was at an uplifting and insightful talk on Spiritual Care at the End of Life given by Dr Karen Groves at LACE last week. I was struck by the way Karen dared to ‘break the mould’ challenging our taboo that causes us to use euphemisms for the words death or dying alongside our own fears and reluctance to discuss the subject. She is inspirational in working to enable all involved in health care to be equipped in providing spiritual care as a means of supporting those who are dying. In the Gospel this week Mary is seen breaking the mould by sitting at the feet of Jesus – something which would never have been acceptable for a woman at that time. Perhaps, like Mary, by breaking the mould, and talking about death more openly, we can begin to reconnect to what has been lost, provide a way to reconciliation and healing, and support our loved ones in a deep and meaningful way. I’m at St Charles and St Thomas More’s this weekend.

God Bless, Helen