“It is good to trust that God watches over, protects us, and will be with us no matter what. But we should not feel we have to test that trust by merely praying and not taking proper and universal precautions. Throughout the current coronavirus situation, God expects us to do simple prophylactic things.”
“Buried within our readings for this coming Sunday are stories that can lead us to re-examine the power of faith in each other, and the power of community to open our hearts to receive testimony to the truth, to the hope that is fed and watered by caring for one another, rather than the panic spread by rumors.”
As Lent began, we read from the Gospel according to Matthew the advice to, “whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). Oh, but what about those things that “our Father who is in secret” will see? And what will be their just reward?
“Perhaps this is the most important lesson of Lent and walking through the deserts and challenges of our lives — we do not go through it alone.”
We are talking about loving one another as all children of the same God in all matters. About respect and honesty. “About how our yes, yes, or no, no is our word before God. About how we accept that we may differ in our social background, but we are one Body before our God. And we don’t have to like everything about each other. But we must honor and respect our neighbors, all of them.”
“The sign that the process has been successful is how God is able to use the ritual to reveal God’s self. Good liturgy is like a windsock that way. It fills up with God and points in the direction that the Spirit is blowing.”
“When I read stories like this one, I have to try not to laugh at those who claim martyrdom today when their ideas are not accepted, they feel they are being wronged over small things, or people disagree with them. Our Christian calendar is so full of real martyrs, those who faced death because they followed Jesus and didn’t back down when the time for execution came.”
“These medical pioneers responded to a need and a call to combine their gifts for healing with their passion to heal the suffering and restore them to life, body and spirit. While not all of us are called to build great clinics, we are all charged with bringing compassion and healing to those we encounter who are suffering and in need of healing and restoration.”
“The Maker of heaven and earth loves me and tenderly cares for me: who can do me harm?”
“I will be joyful and serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song, sure that the Lord is God, that I am his, a sheep of his pasture, ready to enter into his presence with thanksgiving and speak good of his name, for he is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures generation to generation.”
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