THE BEATITUDES IN TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
The Beatitudes are not a list of different kinds of people, people who are meek, merciful, pure of heart, or peacemakers. They are a summation of all the attitudes everybody is to have who sincerely desires to be a follower of Christ. And they do not promise happiness in this life, but in the next.
However, life on earth would be much better for all of us if we were of the same mind as the Beatitudes. How do the Beatitudes apply to our world in this coronavirus pandemic?
Blessed are those who sacrifice their own comfort and security for others…
Blessed are those on the front lines during this pandemic….
Blessed are those who are sad and missing their loves ones and struggling with isolation…
Blessed are those who are dying alone…
Blessed are those who are working tirelessly for a vaccine…
Blessed are those on the margins, who feel the brunt of the pandemic in deep and acute ways…
Blessed are those who are turning to God for help in balancing the upheaval of their lives…
These experiences of struggle, of hurt, of pain and of vulnerability are ways where we are invited to see God. These are experiences where we are invited to know God’s intimate care and mercy for us. Which invitations are we accepting? Which invitations are we declining?
Where are the places in our lives where we have an opportunity to meet and to rely on our Loving God?
How would you rewrite the Beatitudes in language that intimately connects to your own context these days?
May we all be encouraged as we seek to grow closer to God and as we seek to be a model of Christian love, especially in these difficult times.
