Saturday, March 4th

Today’s reflection (and Gospel) is another timely one, written recently and commenting on the current global crises. It comes from the Catholic Telegraph, and shares with us how being confined at home can be a chance to renew our close relationships:

ReadingsEZ 37:21-28; JEREMIAH 31:10, 11-12ABCD, 13; JN 11:45-56

Invitation to Prayer: “And there He remained with His disciples.”

Reflection:
I almost laughed when I read this line in today’s gospel, “Jesus no longer walked about in public…”. Who knew THAT would be the line in scripture I most connected with today. We are a generation of the Church who have been raised to value community, networking, outreach and relationships… We’ve been raised to make everything personal. And now we learn to apply those values to daily life in a season of self-distancing, isolation and quarantine. So let’s make this season – personal.

“Jesus no longer walked about in public…But… he remained with his disciples.”

I don’t understand it, but I see God’s hand in sending all of us – Home. God, who makes “all things work together for good”, has chosen now – to call us to a mandatory stay-cation with the people in our homes. So while Jesus avoided crowds and remained with his disciples, with whom do we remain?

In the Urbi et Orbi address Pope Francis offered on March 27, 2020 he said of us in this season, “We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed… each of us in need of comforting the other.”

In living this stay-at-home order, may we hear Jesus invite us, “I want you to be with your families. I want you to serve the members of your own home. I want you to receive me so intimately (through prayer and the sacraments available to us…) & then go out. But not so far out that you don’t see the people living next to you – on the couch, in the kitchen, alone in their rooms. I want you to see them. See each other, and remain with them.”

Prayer: 
You, Lord, have been invited into more homes (through online mass & adoration, worship nights & Christian concerts) than maybe ever before. We fling wide open our doors for you & usher you into the center of our families! As we look for you, help us see with fresh eyes the people you’ve given to us – to love and be loved by them.

Closing: 
The next time you feel prompted to spend intentional time with someone in your home, to reach out, offer yourself – your time & your presence: listen and respond to that prompting. Remain with Jesus by remaining with them.

Abbie Kohler