Life in the time of social distancing

Coronavirus, COVID-19, social distancing, hand washing, sanitizers, and disinfectants became the basic words that we learned early this year. Every day, we’re bombarded by an alarming rate of the rising number of cases, deaths, and the great economic impact brought by this global pandemic.

The information and other data presented to us are disturbing and scary. It makes you think of what would happen to us and what the future holds once this crisis is over. During this time of uncertainty, we can’t help it if we again question God.

Why did this thing happen? Why is there so much death and suffering? Why is He not doing anything to eradicate this disease? Why does inequality remain? Am I going to get back to work? What will happen to my family? How are we going to survive after this?

We must always be reminded that our Lord is in total control of everything. We should pause and reflect on our current situation during these trying times. Prayer and meditation would help lessen our doubts and ease our fears.

If you know or remember the beautiful poem Footprints In the Sand, there’s a verse there where a man, as he looked back from his past, asked our Jesus why there were only one set of footprints during the times he encountered storms in his life despite following our Lord.

He was totally unaware that during those saddest and trouble-filled times, Jesus chose to carry him. The footprints that he saw were Jesus’ footprints as he carried him so he could get past all of his trials and hardships. He is carrying us during these times.

In the first Letter of St. Peter, he says that “we must “cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (5:7)” and “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast (5:10).”

It is during these times that we must seek God and ask Him to give us strength. The strength that would increase our faith in Him and hold steadfast our love, despite the fear and uncertainty of our future. We must continue to pray and believe in Him, like the way the early Christian martyrs did hundreds of years ago.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bishop Hagemoen challenges pilgrims to be Prophets of the New Millennium

Image
SASKATOON — As Catholic youth gear up for the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, Bishop Mark Hagemoen urged those who participated in the Mount Carmel Pilgrimage Site to embrace their role as prophets of the new millennium. On the Day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel feast, hundreds of pilgrims gathered at the Mount Carmel Pilgrimage site on Sunday, July 16, to participate in the annual liturgical services, and the day commenced with the recitation of the rosary and Marian hymns, culminating in a concelebrated mass led by Bishop Hagemoen. Bishop Mark Hagemoen During his homily, Bishop Hagemoen echoed the words of Pope Francis, calling on the pilgrims to embrace their prophetic calling and spread God's word to all. He emphasized that each individual, through baptism, has received the gift of Messianic prophecy, becoming a prophet themselves. "The pope says, ‘Each of us, brothers and sisters, is a prophet. In fact, with baptism, let us all receive the gift of the Messian
Read more

Papal visit hopes to repair relationship with Indigenous Peoples

Image
SASKATOON — The Vatican has released the official itinerary of Pope Francis with the pontiff heading straight to Edmonton to make his first visit to Canada to meet with Indigenous Peoples, especially residential school survivors. The Holy Father will leave Rome on July 24, Thursday, at 9:00 a.m. local time and will arrive at the Edmonton International Airport for the official welcome at 11:20 a.m. the same day. Rome is eight hours ahead of Alberta, which follows mountain daylight time. The theme of the papal visit is “Walking Together” which will focus on reconciliation and healing the strained relationship between the Catholic church and Indigenous Peoples, especially the survivors of the abuses caused by attending the Canadian residential school system. Pope Francis’ six-day trip is a combination of public and private events and meetings, especially with Indigenous Peoples. The visit comes after a few months when a historic meeting between First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegates in
Read more

A letter to Tatay

SASKATOON—My father died in February 2018, more than a month after our last vacation in the Philippines where we get to spend Christmas and New Year with our family and friends. I have no idea that would be the last time we would see Tatay alive, the last time he would see my family and spend time with two (Macky and Nathan) of his more than 10 grandchildren, and the last time I would speak to him in person and my last time to mano before heading to the airport the early morning of Jan. 9, 2018. He died while we were back on Saipan, thousands of kilometres away east of the Philippines; while I was busy covering House and Senate sessions at the CNMI Legislature or busy hounding the governor about a local or federal issue, and while I was working on an island surrounded by the ocean in the Western Pacific. I haven't mentioned this to anyone—and I'm not sure if Nanay or my sister who was then taking care of him remembers this—but I got furious at him when we talked on the ph
Read more