In a Time Such as This ...

Hello!

It has been a stressful period here lately. Asides from the pressures and demands of work, there is undeniable negative energy loaming around as a result of the effects of the coronavirus plaguing the world and its economy at the moment.

Businesses are shutting down, sources of livelihood are being sealed off. Apart from the horrible financial implications being borne by many, people are growing hungry, giving in to anxiety, fear, and in some drastic cases, despair. Many are turning to crime, abuse of alcohol, drugs & other things as a coping mechanism.

The Divine Mercy Icon (source: Pinterest)

In this chaos, we seem to be experiencing a case of perfect timing as we approach the Feast of Divine Mercy - a feast where we celebrate the immeasurable mercy of God through the Crucified and Wounded Heart of Jesus Christ and also implore abundant mercy and grace upon ourselves and on the world. The Novena began on Good Friday and today is day 6. You can join in to pray for the different intentions per day (better late than never, right?), by accessing the prayers here.

The readings from Easter Sunday till date appear to address us as we all strive to stay sane and safe. Below, are some key messages for us from the Word of God - which is alive, active and also timeless.

Pray & Act 

In the readings from the Acts of the Apostles' chapter 3, we see where Peter (the once denying and fearful guy) who is now made bold and courageous due to the infilling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (account in prior chapters), healing a lame man. In verse 7, we are told that after proclaiming the words that invoked the power of Jesus Christ, he stretched out his hand to help the man get up.  I pondered on why it was being emphasised that he stretched out his hand to the lame man. Could he not have just said the words and have the man healed? The power of God can do that (the centurion's servant was healed, miles away, with just words from Jesus), so why this extra effort? 

The act of service wrapped in charity births miracles. 

James has said Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17), and here the Holy Spirit inspired the writer of the book of Acts to be detailed in narrating how this miracle happened - through Prayer and Action.  God infuses His divine power into our little seeds (acts of love/kindness) in His providence and this, in turn, births vast produce of blessings and miracles, both to the receiver and to you (the channel). A pipe through which water flows can never complain of thirst.

In our present day, as much as we spend time praying for deliverance, breakthrough and restoration, let us also try in our own little ways to assist our neighbours and those in need of help around us. 

We are forever grateful to those in the medical field that are at the forefront of this crisis, risking their lives (and in some cases, losing them) for the sake of those suffering from the infection of the virus. Apart from praying for them, we too can do our bit by abiding by the guidelines they have provided us with - wash hands and maintain basic hygiene, observe social distancing, stay at home, eat well and don't be reckless. Doing all these, no matter how inconvenient they may be, makes their work easier as the numbers of those needing attention would reduce and gradually, they will be able to return to their normal lives.

Stretch Out Your Hand in Service to Others ... while You Wait

I once came across a post that said; "While you wait on God, do what waiters do ... Serve!". These words have stayed with me and hold true meaning to the kind of attitude that we are to exhibit while practising the virtue of patience. I have also learned in time, that patience is not just the ability to wait but how you act while you wait. This shows that we are meant to be doing something while we wait on God to restore and deliver us from this plague.

In addition to staying safe, we can assist others by making donations to churches and charities that are trying in their own way, to provide food and basic supplies to those who are not as fortunate as some of us. You can give to that friend of yours who is having a hard time feeding his or her family. 

Apart from giving money, you can use your time and talent to serve others. Pick up the phone and check on your friends. Our Lord Jesus would add 'enemies' to that statement, but let me leave that to the directives of the Holy Spirit in your heart 😅. Give your money or your time or your talent or better still, give them all in honour of God.

There is always something to give. Even poor Lazarus who had nothing gave his wounds to the hungry dogs to lick. 

Live in Remembrance & Thanksgiving 

Recently, I have been feeling so much pressure from work. I barely have time to myself and this is also due to the fact that I tend to be a workaholic as a result, of my inability to leave work unfinished. I was close to breaking down completely, from the struggle of meeting deadlines and also the feeling that the work would never end. Yes, where some people are growing bored due to a lack of tasks/duties, some others are being put under immense pressure as a result of the shifting and growing demands of the market and the society at large. This pressure often results in different levels of stress both mentally and emotionally which can lead to a psychological breakdown.  

On this day, however, after praying and asking God for strength and grace (for His grace is always, always sufficient enough to see us through whatever we are dealing with), a song by Hillsong worship called Remembrance, popped up on my playlist to be played. It resonates with the responsorial psalms we have been reading these past days, which calls us to remember the Goodness and Faithfulness of God. Let us count our blessings in the spirit of gratitude, knowing that God who came through for us then, does not change.

(Here is a link to a playlist I have compiled)

Psalm 105: 1-9 calls us to be thankful to God for who He is and also encourages us, to ask for strength that we might not grow weary nor fall into despair/sin. God never forgets His word nor His own. The Magnificat is a beautiful prayer to say in these times, for God will always keep His covenant with us - His people. 

Do not be afraid

In the Gospel account of the resurrection according to Matthew, (chapter 28:1-15), despite the previous message received by the women from the Angels, they are still filled with fear and Jesus addressed them again, saying "Do not be afraid". 

"Fear not" is one of the most visible commands in the Holy Bible ... and we truly must not give in to fear ... the fear of man. Evil will always exist until the day of the Lord (Judgement), evident in the gospel passage shared above, we are told of how despite the eye witness account of the resurrection by the soldiers, the Pharisees still bribed them to keep silent and went further to offer to protect them if they were exposed to the wrath of the governor. 

The problem with fear i.e the fear of man is that it lays the foundation for Sin. Fear leads to anxiety and this, in turn, leads us to respond in the not so brilliant ways (lies, theft, bribes, disobedience, etc.). Fear messes up our hormones, which affects our immune system and you guessed right, this is not the right time to have a low immune system. Fear creates panic - which has led to panic buying, where people have hoarded goods and sellers in some cases, have hiked prices. The common man cannot afford the hiked prices and so resorts to crime in a bid to survive. Fear also leads to anger and we know that when we act in anger, it never usually turns out positive. So you see, we cannot really afford to be afraid right now.

Seek Wisdom 

In all seasons, especially uncertain ones like this which we are in at the moment, let us spend time seeking God Almighty who is the Beginning and the End, The Alpha and the Omega, the One who nothing can happen without His Permission. 

The Gospel account of Luke (Chapter 24:25-27), the men were unable to recognise Jesus as their hearts were muddled with the happenings of that time. They lacked the knowledge of the Word of God, and as such could not recognise the voice of the Word made Flesh - Jesus Christ. We see towards the end of that chapter that they recognised Jesus after being taught by Him, as they made way to their home and broke bread with Him. 

With the Holy Spirit as our ever-present teacher, when we spend time in God's word, we are able to recognize His voice when He speaks to us. His Words correct us, guides us, encourages us, consoles us and also feeds our souls (Jesus broke bread right after teaching the two men & then they recognized him and were filled with Joy).

Let us not allow the lack of true knowledge to bring forth our destruction. Let us not allow ourselves to be led into confusion and to a hopeless state where we undermine the power of God in our situation. Let us also avoid giving God - Who exists outside time, a timeframe to answer our cries for restoration. 

Let us seek Wisdom, Let us Seek Our God, sincerely.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, reign in our hearts and may the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in perfect peace, Amen.

#Shalom 💙

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