As we all know from experience, the pandemic has caused many people (and whole families sometimes) to suffer the loss of jobs, the death of loved ones, and the daily struggle of just “hanging in there.” At times like these, we need to be reminded (again) that hope, the kind of hope that comes from the Lord, can give us a new rhythm of grace. At times like these, we can also remember the wise advice from St. Augustine: “Pray as if everything depended on God, and work as if everything depended on you.” His counsel can serve to be “light for our path” in the middle of the present darkness caused by the virus.
Let’s not forget: we are all in this together! We all run the risk of thinking we are alone or abandoned, but one of our greatest frailties right now is that we can so easily fall into indifference or selfishness, when we need each other more than ever. The Lord continues to call us to do “the little things” and to look for seemingly insignificant ways to reach out to others: offering acceptance, consolation, and attention. All of this is part of “being a community of brothers and sisters,” sharing everything in the love of Christ.
Let us pray. “God of every age and place, during this time, when the “order” of our days has been replaced by uncertainty and one critical moment after another, give us your grace to live each day as fully as possible. Give us, please, patience when we are troubled. Give us determination to remain focused, not on passing things, but on the daily actions that can contribute to the betterment of the lives of everyone. We ask this in the Name of the One who makes all things possible and who is the source of our hope, Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you for ever and ever. Amen.”
