Reflection for Saturday, March 28
by Trust Him and be transformed.
Just a few weeks ago, life went from daily routines and predictability to chaos and uncertainty. Suddenly, the illusion I was in control was completely shattered. Walking my dog became one of the few daily routines left in place. These daily walks still left me quarantined in the confines of my mind, preoccupied with new fears and questions. What now? How do I move forward when life around me has stopped?
Yesterday, I listened to Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi meditation and blessing. As he spoke in the evening hours to an empty St. Peter square, it was a strange yet comforting experience to see the Pope’s message bringing light and hope into the darkness. His meditation on Jesus calming the storm was extremely powerful and so relevant.
Pope Francis said “Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.” Although fragile and disoriented with many changes around me, I have realized there has been an opportunity for a deepening of my relationships. From video chatting with my family on my mother’s birthday to spending more time in prayer with my fiancé, there was a reorientation taking place. It has made all of us think about how we can be there for one another, comfort each other, and continue to row together in this boat through the storm.
This reorientation has also happened in my relationship with God. One of my friends recently asked, “Are we willing to sacrifice our normal routines right now for a deeper relationship with God?” I have found myself working hard to adapt rather than accept this invitation to grow in my faith. It has been easier to make new plans to feel in control again rather than spent time in prayer. Right now, I know God is asking me to confront my selfishness, self-reliance, and little faith to grow in the needs of others, trust, and greater faith. This is a time we can be all be awakened to focus more on the needs of others rather than becoming preoccupied with ourselves. This can be a time of not just readjusting to these new circumstances but allowing for change, maybe even transformation.
With several family members and loved ones working in the hospitals, I am especially grateful and inspired by their courage. Let us pray for them and our entire world. Jesus is in our boat. He is with us and very close to us in our suffering. We must have the faith, as Pope Francis says, to not just believe He is with us, but that we can trust Him. Trust Him and be transformed.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/urbi-et-orbi-pope-coronavirus-prayer-blessing.html