FILL THE JARS

the script of my Reflection that the 10th Anniversary of Fr Gerry Reynolds passing... personal reflection and a short sermonette on one of Fr Gerry's favourite Scriptures.

It is not being over dramatic to say that Fr Gerry Reynolds was one of the conduits of God’s Holy Spirit in changing my life. Ken Newell was another. I was remembering today how precious a couple of followers of Jesus these men were, as individuals and as a mighty partnership. Plug for the Newell- Reynolds Lecture on Sunday night in Fitzroy.

BUT tonight is about the Conduit Fr Gerry Reynolds.

I feel that as a teenager, young in the faith I was, what I call, ENCRUSTED with a cultural and ecclesiological sectarian sludge, baked hard like concrete on my back.

Don’t get involved with Catholics, especially priests. The Pope’s the Antichrist. They are not Christians like you.

That was on my mind the first day I encountered Fr Gerry. We were in Fitzroy… long before I was minister.

I see it still. Fr Gerry was leaning against a table and I got trapped in a part of the room where I could not really do anything else but hold out my hand.

I did so with apprehension and fear. The encrusting hardening in the soul of my veins. Am I betraying my faith? Will I be compromised. Will I lose my salvation immediately. It was all in my head as I reached out my hand…

And when we shook hands it was as if Fr Gerry was a giant standing above me bringing down a sledgehammer on my encrusting. Smashed into smithereens.

Of course my illustration is for poetic effect. Oh the encrusting was indeed damaged irreparably, praise God, but it was not with a sledgehammer BUT the warm, gentle grace filled soul that my soul had now encountered. Fr Gerry melted away all my fears right there. Didn’t Ken call him the radiator of the peace process, the one who heated up cold frosty rooms.

I then of course got the privilege of moving to Fitzroy and standing on the shoulders of Gerry and Ken. I had the blessing of getting to share baptisms, pastoral visits, Clonard Fitzroy events, Novenas, prayer walks in the garden outside as he recited Psalms at will, and lengthy chats about communion. He so longed to share it with Janice and me.

One day we drove to Donegal to baptise twins. How legal it was in either of our Churches eyes I don’t know but it was a joy in God’s eyes and I always think if you are going to err err with Fr Gerry. If anyone’s getting away with it.

Our daughter Jasmine was with us that day and I remember Janice and I saying to her. This is as close as you’ll ever have of spending a day with a saint. Take it all in. Seeing her try to teach Fr. Gerry how to use a new tablet, that he had recently received, at the bottom of the Glenshane Pass is a memory I will have for as long as I have a memory.

In those last years he would always say to me, Steve you need a priest your own age. Your own Gerry. I am too old for you. I pray you find your own partner across the divide.

I fully believe that Fr Gerry prayed my friendship with Fr Martin Magill into existence without any contriving whatever. He prayed and, as he so often put it, he let it unfold. Priest, the same age. There are 27 days between Martin and I. He’s the oldest. 27 days. You were showing off Gerry!

Ed reminded me of Fr Gerry’s love of this passage just read for us. John 2. The wedding at Cana in Galilee… Jesus very first miracle…

Fr Gerry loved that Mary was involved. We had slightly different views on Mary. I’d have loved more time with him on that one. BUT the text here says it… Mary instigates Jesus miracle. Pointing the crowds to Jesus. We are agreed that that’s a charism that Mary does well.

Fr. Gerry was also pointing out that Jesus was the one who will do the miracle. He’s the one who’ll turn the water to wine. Our job is to fill the jars.

For Fr Gerry it was the same when it comes to peace and church unity… Only an interruption of God’s grace can break in, break the cycle of our divisions… heal and restore and redeem.

The Oscar Romero prayer you’ve been given tonight, so special to Fr Gerry, reminds us of what is beyond us, what we can’t achieve.

Jesus does the miracle.

We fill the jars.

And Gerry was concerned that we weren’t filling those jars.

You can imagine the frantic running to and fro at a wedding feast when the wine has run out. There were no distractions. The main point was the main point - there’s less wine here than at a Presbyterian communion! When Mary said, “Do as he says”… and Jesus said, “Fill those jars…” you can sense the urgency. What have we got to lose. Fill the jars.

What of our urgency? In our wee country have we been complacent since the 90s. The atmosphere on the hill seems a little toxic just now.

BUT are we filling the jars?

Later in John’s Gospel (17:21) Jesus prays “that all of them may be one… so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” As a world stops believing in Jesus, would unity across our denominations not be a wonderful witness to Jesus.

Where’s our urgency. Are we filling the jars?

What are the jars?

Jars of reaching out in friendships

Jars of listening with respect

Jars of humility

Jars of forgiveness

Jars of grace

Jars of hope

Jars of prayer

Jars of Loving your enemies, doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us, praying for those who mistreat us. These are the jars that Jesus told us to fill.

Fill… so that the Holy Spirit could interrupt in miracles.

Fill the jars… and then as Fr Gerry would always say… as the servants watched the water turn to wine….then… Let it unfold.

Thank you brother, father.