Society was completely disrupted in March 2020, when many countries closed their borders and implemented social distancing rules in an attempt to prevent the further spread of a highly contagious and unknown disease.
It was sometime in 2018 that I remember my daughter Jessica mentioning that “something bad would happen in 2020.” And that you only had to look at history to expect something.
Her comment seemed interesting to me, but honestly, I thought it was unlikely.
In the fall of 2019, I had begun coordinating a group of teenagers preparing them for their confirmation, and I vividly remember one of the students commenting on his fear of the disease that was spreading in Asia. As the weeks passed, and the consequences of the mysterious illness became known, the comments of concern increased in number and intensity.
The changes that unfolded were so strange, like something out of a distant, foreign movie. Personally, I had a hard time imagining being confined to our homes for more than two weeks.
And yet it happened.
What was your experience when you realized that the pandemic wasn’t something typical or predictable?
We all had to adapt in one way or another, whether agreeing or disagreeing, but the situation affected us all.
Services, commerce, industries, and jobs were disrupted. Those who could, made the transition to online services. And many people lost their jobs.
And it wasn’t long before people close to us began to get sick. And even beyond that some of us experienced the loss of loved ones, personal illness, and/or health consequences after getting “better.”.
Many people asked:
Where is God?
Did you ever ask yourself that question?
Personally, my mind articulated something, and yet the restlessness remained. Trusting wasn’t natural at that stage.
In one of the psalms, the Scripture says that God is faithful, gives bread, heals, relieves, loves, cares for, and sustains.
Haven’t you ever been the object of God’s love in one way or another?
Perhaps you received some kind of provision, support, or help.
Or perhaps you gave it to someone else.
If so, you extended your hands, resources, and possessions and lent your hands and resources to God, and God acted in you to fulfill what the psalmist says.
And you, how have you experienced that God is faithful, gives bread, heals, relieves, loves, cares for, and sustains. In the expected or in the unexpected?
It’s no coincidence that Scripture also tells us not only to pay attention to those in need, but also to be concerned about their needs and help.
If the Spirit leads you, share your graces and needs with Jesus the carpenter. And perhaps you will perceive that your acts of grace can be received as God’s fulfilled promise to someone else, while God also provides for you.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about the call to serve those in need in the readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year/Cycle C.
