LAETARE SUNDAY! WITH COVID-19?

From the Association of Catholic Priests, Ireland, I have borrowed the following relevant situation regarding the Covid-19 crisis.

The question: Is there a Christian way of facing the Covid-19 crisis?

The answer: Is, yes there is. The author gives four characteristics:

i. We must move from “I” to “we”. He explains that “This is a frightening situation that we face together. The common good must be given first place, we will find our own good with in the common.” We should know that this is a very Christian, even a very Catholic virtue.

ii. He names the second one as an attitude of concern and compassion. Even if we must be isolated in our own homes or workplaces, modern communications allow us to stay in touch in a way that was impossible before. This is a great benefit. Staying in contact with others makes them feel that they are wanted, cared for and are not abandoned.

iii. A respect for truth, comes next. In recent years, the truth has suffered in public discourse, giving rise to a horrible expression, the post-truth era. In these days, we need to pay attention to science and medicine and less attention to opinion-makers and rumours. A society without truth cannot last. Today, right now, we need truth more than ever before.

iv. The fourth is simply a fact of Christianity. Prayer. We can pray in particular for scientists, medical personnel and politicians. These are wonderful people with a huge job of work before them. As we pray for ourselves and our families and friends, we pray too for all who look after the common good.  (Kieran O’Mahony).

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Comment

So as we go through the first Sunday of our 32 days of no church services or Mass as a community of Our Lady and St. Jude, we should look at the four points above by Kieran O’Mahony)——- and remember that the crisis that we are facing; must be faced with faith. We are Christians; not atheists, animists or whatever….

Jesus gave us a new commandment, the law of love; we must therefore not think about “I” only but turn to our neighbor and show that we are concerned about their situation, that we care and have compassion for them. We also have to be truthful about what is going on! Why should anyone want to take advantage of others by spreading untruthful information about such a dangerous virus? A Christian should definitely not be in that category. And of course the greatest weapon of them all is prayer. We Christians know that, God is the God of our salvation. We must pray to Him. He will come to our assistance.

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THAT I MAY SEE

Today as the church tells us to rejoice, there is plenty of darkness around us. We are blinded by so many ugly things happening everywhere we turn. The Virus, the injustices, political imbalances and family break-downs ; darkness! Darkness!

May the Lord throw light in this darkness; may this be an opening of our eyes so that we may see with both our body and soul. Amen

Sat 21, Mar 2020 16:03 pm