Good morning!
Jesus, the light of the world stepped down into darkness when He became man! His mission was to light up the darkness!
As I got up this morning I felt a lot of darkness (and no I didn’t get up at 2 am!!)!
In my local coffee shop business is down 70-80% and the newspaper cover isn’t exactly encouraging this morning!
People are scared and if like me they are not scared, then they are scared because they are not scared!
As everyone runs about washing their hands and staying indoors my life continues as normal! I know Jesus will look after me and while I’m not running about trying to catch the virus, neither am I staying in in fear!
Now that said, I’ve been given many special graces in my life and this allows me to live in a slightly different way to others!
Prayer is my protection and I’m very aware of the power of prayer to protect us and heal me from physical illness!
That said, many are not and are aghast at people like me!
To the medical world my behaviour probably looks irresponsible. It reminds me of when I lived in India and Jesus told me that He’d protect me from all illnesses and to eat and drink as He guided me!
Of course I never got sick as Jesus was indeed protecting me but I got severely criticised for being a bad example!
In a way I get it! God was protecting me in a special way and if someone else were to copy me they could end up very sick!
But yet the protection He gave me was so I could eat and drink and pray with the local people without fear of getting sick!
And so as so many are running about washing their hands and the fear is mounting, I do feel like shouting ‘calm down’!!
Sure continue to heed medical advice but let’s not spread fear and terror!!
So far I’ve heard only medical solutions and very few prayer solutions! In reality both are needed!!
History is filled with miraculous interventions by God when people turned to prayer in faith!
Do we believe in God’s power or is God now just the same as an intelligent scientist?!
And so as a believer in Jesus my challenge during this period is to spread hope, to encourage prayer while not dismissing science and to spreading love and hope!
Some will reject my hope as religious fantasy and others will think that it’s great!
Some will agree, some will oppose and yet that’s life!
And so you too have a choice! We can make either spread trust, hope and love while washing our hands and praying or we can lock ourselves inside and spread fear and doom to all whom we meet!
There will be deaths, there will be suffering but there also will be love, care, solidarity and if we allow it, a return to prayer and love and need of God.
So let’s trust in Jesus that He is in charge, that He has a plan and that He will throw His merciful gaze over us all and especially those who are sick so that this time can also become a time of community, love and care!
Must go now to take my daily medication against fear and illness!
Off to Holy Mass!
God bless you all and keep trusting and praying IN FAITH AND POSITIVITY AND HOPE!
Michael