Significant turning points can come upon us suddenly. This is especially true after we’ve been travelling in the same direction for a prolonged period of time. We came to another turning point with the change in COVID restrictions for Mass on the weekend of February 13th. For those Masses, we were able to open the church and fill it to 50% capacity. That weekend we were no longer restricted to ‘sing along in our heads’, but we could sing along with our mouths (albeit through our masks).

Now, you may think there is little joy in these half steps, but you would be wrong. That weekend was full of joy! It was a bit like stepping from darkness into dawn. Those changes represented a real turning point for us. It meant that the public health authorities who monitor the effects of the pandemic had seen a change for the better– a good trend.

For me, and the parishioners I attended Mass with that Sunday, it meant we all got in. No one faced the sad disappointment of being turned away at the front doors because our limit was reached. It meant that as we looked around before Mass we saw church looking much more like our church.

When the music started, voices, at first hesitantly, but then more clearly, could be heard through masks. Joining in with the music was a way of rejoining the community. It truly felt different from the routine we had left behind.

And like all turning points, we were invited to look ahead along a different path. With all its ups and downs over two years I had become hesitant to look beyond our daily life of COVID restrictions. But now we were encouraged to consider what the ‘new normal’ might look like.

Within a week, the momentum increased. It was announced that Nova Scotia would lift all restrictions on March 21st. All of a sudden, dawn became daylight at the end of the tunnel. It was a time to consider all of the social, relational, community and spiritual events we would be able to enjoy.

And then the icing was on the cake. We were introduced to the Next Step Centre, complete with a coffee bar, soon to open in the foyer of the church. It would be a place where we could mingle and chat. A place for us to come back to the full presence and expression of the caring community we are.

We will not throw all caution to the wind on March 21st; I think the lessons and cautions of the pandemic will endure. However, I for one will feel that we have emerged into a new hope and a return to things we cherish.