A Sunday Thought About the Difficultires We're Facing
In recent weekly posts we've discussed ways to stay strong during this mess, along with the value and need for discipline. All of this points to the difficulties we're all facing.
In the greater scheme of things, the difficulties I've faced have been on the light side compared to others. I'm still working. The family's survived reasonably well, although each of us has had individual struggles over and above the one's we already had before the COVID lockdown. But I know some people who've not been so fortunate.
Some have lost their jobs, some receive reduced income. Some have had sick family members. While none of our family or close friends have died, some of us know people who've died of the virus, others who were sick from other diseases, who've had to go to the hospital without the comfort of loved ones. In one particular case, a husband could not be with his wife as she faced emergency brain surgery and remained in a hospital for almost two weeks. She survived and seems to be healing. But it's been a harrowing experience for him.
Between all of us, I wonder how strong has been our trust in God. I know so little about the relationship family and friends have with God. While I've thought about this in the past, it's only been lately that it's really surfaced and become more of a concern. Sure, I pray for others all the time. But I don't really talk to the individuals I pray for about their relationship with God. Heck, my own hasn't always been all that great.
But the difficulties brought on by our current mess have really highlighted the importance of our relationship with God - if only because the stronger that is, the more we can trust in Him when we're facing difficulties.
Trusting in God should be second nature to us Catholics. And many times in the past I've told God I trusted Him. But did I really? I did when it was easy to trust, when the difficulties I faced weren't all that earth-shattering. As you might imagine, it's been harder to trust when the difficulties approach "off the charts" levels.
I suspect many, if not most of us, have experienced something similar.
So now is the time to be honest with ourselves. How much do we really trust God? Our current difficulties will put this to the test. I say "will" because I strongly suspect our current difficulties will not melt away as the loosening or re-opening - or whatever you want to call it - continues around the country and around the world.
And these are taking their sweet time, aren't they? Never mind the lingering threat of a second wave to the outbreak of this virus. What will life be like then? Even if there's no significant second wave, it's hard to see the economy becoming glued back together any time soon.
Will people that need them get jobs? Many people hadn't been able to get the employment they need before the virus hit. What about now? Will the situation change much?
And we haven't even mentioned the Sacraments. They've been missing for most of us for a long time. Albeit painfully slow, we should all soon get access to Mass, Confession, and Holy Communion. Have we missed them? For those of us who regularly accessed them, will our old habits and practices kick in? For those of us who've been lax in the past, have we even noticed or cared about our inability to access the Sacraments?
This has been an area where I've most simply and effectively trusted in God. While it would have been good to get to Mass, to Confession, to receive Communion these last months, it's not something over which I've had any control. I know how we derive grace from the Sacraments. And at first, I was concerned that the loss of the Sacraments would leave me more vulnerable to the usual suspects: the world, the flesh, and the devil. But after some fretting, I did actively, persistently trust that God would provide the grace I needed to at least stay somewhere within shouting distance of the straight and narrow.
This has been just a quick overview of some of the difficulties and challenges we face now and will face in the future. It's really a good time to learn to trust in God as the difficulties continue. And Sunday would be the perfect time to put some thought and effort into this. Of all our endeavors, learning to love God and trust in His mercy has to be at the top of our list.
In the greater scheme of things, the difficulties I've faced have been on the light side compared to others. I'm still working. The family's survived reasonably well, although each of us has had individual struggles over and above the one's we already had before the COVID lockdown. But I know some people who've not been so fortunate.
Some have lost their jobs, some receive reduced income. Some have had sick family members. While none of our family or close friends have died, some of us know people who've died of the virus, others who were sick from other diseases, who've had to go to the hospital without the comfort of loved ones. In one particular case, a husband could not be with his wife as she faced emergency brain surgery and remained in a hospital for almost two weeks. She survived and seems to be healing. But it's been a harrowing experience for him.
Between all of us, I wonder how strong has been our trust in God. I know so little about the relationship family and friends have with God. While I've thought about this in the past, it's only been lately that it's really surfaced and become more of a concern. Sure, I pray for others all the time. But I don't really talk to the individuals I pray for about their relationship with God. Heck, my own hasn't always been all that great.
But the difficulties brought on by our current mess have really highlighted the importance of our relationship with God - if only because the stronger that is, the more we can trust in Him when we're facing difficulties.
Trusting in God should be second nature to us Catholics. And many times in the past I've told God I trusted Him. But did I really? I did when it was easy to trust, when the difficulties I faced weren't all that earth-shattering. As you might imagine, it's been harder to trust when the difficulties approach "off the charts" levels.
I suspect many, if not most of us, have experienced something similar.
So now is the time to be honest with ourselves. How much do we really trust God? Our current difficulties will put this to the test. I say "will" because I strongly suspect our current difficulties will not melt away as the loosening or re-opening - or whatever you want to call it - continues around the country and around the world.
And these are taking their sweet time, aren't they? Never mind the lingering threat of a second wave to the outbreak of this virus. What will life be like then? Even if there's no significant second wave, it's hard to see the economy becoming glued back together any time soon.
Will people that need them get jobs? Many people hadn't been able to get the employment they need before the virus hit. What about now? Will the situation change much?
And we haven't even mentioned the Sacraments. They've been missing for most of us for a long time. Albeit painfully slow, we should all soon get access to Mass, Confession, and Holy Communion. Have we missed them? For those of us who regularly accessed them, will our old habits and practices kick in? For those of us who've been lax in the past, have we even noticed or cared about our inability to access the Sacraments?
This has been an area where I've most simply and effectively trusted in God. While it would have been good to get to Mass, to Confession, to receive Communion these last months, it's not something over which I've had any control. I know how we derive grace from the Sacraments. And at first, I was concerned that the loss of the Sacraments would leave me more vulnerable to the usual suspects: the world, the flesh, and the devil. But after some fretting, I did actively, persistently trust that God would provide the grace I needed to at least stay somewhere within shouting distance of the straight and narrow.
This has been just a quick overview of some of the difficulties and challenges we face now and will face in the future. It's really a good time to learn to trust in God as the difficulties continue. And Sunday would be the perfect time to put some thought and effort into this. Of all our endeavors, learning to love God and trust in His mercy has to be at the top of our list.
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