Moments of desperation

The nation even the world is, for the most part, in some form of isolation, a lockdown, quarantined from each other. The worlds businesses are closed, and, sadly, the Churches, too, have locked many of their doors. It is a time of desperation for some, and for others a solitude that cries with loneliness. Our homebound and residents in nursing homes experiencing a prison like environment, many confined to their room, a cell, with no visitors.

Our country has taken a hard hit, shattering our nose, our economy, our freedom of living and religious practices. For some, they were blindsided, for this hit came unexpectedly. For others, a mental depression overshadows faith and hope and trust.

One of the most famous and favorite Gospel passages for many people is the familiar John 3:16, We’ve seen it on banners, at football games, on roadside billboards, some even have it tattooed on their body, Jn 3:16.

And behind that beautiful verse of love are the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”.

There comes a time in our life when we realize we have no other place to go, but to God. Today, is that time in our life. We need His help, we need His direction for we have failed finding that guidance, direction and compassion on our own. We were blinded by our own desires.

And it is in these moments, in desperation that many of us are somehow magnetically pulled towards our Lord. We were blind, but now we see.

The man born blind in today’s Gospel was healed, but interestingly enough was not able to just see, but was sent on a spiritual journey from simply saying, “I was healed”, to sometime later, referring to Jesus as a prophet, and finally saying and believing in those most beautiful words, “I do believe Lord”. His faith progressed step by step, and he worshipped our Lord.

That must be our spiritual journey. Today, no Church, but yet we pray. No, Eucharist, but yet spiritually fed by our desire to receive His Precious Body and Blood. God must come first in our lives.

Yes, we pray for all those helping our nation, working to help us survive. Yes, we pray, that many who have been blind to God will come to experience the true light of Christ. Prayer is, as many of us know, the only weapon to battle against adversity and the devil. We have never been through anything like this before.

Even though we are in this severe crisis, God has provided many of us with that window of opportunity to reflect, to take some time and think about  those words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”.

God is telling us to wake up. I want you to see!  It is in those precious moments, when we go deep into our hearts, when we tell Jesus, “I do believe”, then it is when we will hear those beautiful words from Jesus,

 “I love you”.

How much does God love us? St. Augustine tells us, “God loves each of us as if there was only one of us to love”