Putting All Fears and Anxiety on the Altar of God During Coronavirus Pandemic

We are living through strange times......for me, watching the Mass on TV on a Sunday morning instead of going to Church is something I never thought I would do. But I did it today.
Looking at empty grocery store shelves in America in 2020, who could of thought such a thing would happen?
This is the new normal, at least for the time being and its unsettling.
But its a good time especially since it's Lent to do Spring cleaning, to shed some things that are no longer needed. Since I will be spending more time than usual in the house, it's a good time, to gather up clothing I don't need or wear anymore and give it to charity. And other things as well.....
There are positive things that can be done, in this strange new day- to- day reality.
I hope its over soon, I hope the pandemic and historic time we are living through passes quickly.
I pray for the sick and their caregivers and those homebound.

These words from St. Teresa of Avila, a great Carmelite Spanish saint and Doctor of the Church, gave me some comfort today:

Be not anxious, have no fear
All is passing, God is near.
Love unchanging, that is God
Bear then all things patiently.
Who possesses God has all, 
Wanting nothing great or small
God suffices, God alone
You are God's, make God your own.
And oh yes, Rejoice!  
St Teresa of Avila

I would add, if I may "And yes, live in hope, because as Christians we are called to be hopeful, in the midst of trials and uncertainty, we have hope that the Lord is with us and will get us through."
Amen.
NJA

Fear and Uncertainty in the World Because of the Coronavirus

Due to the outbreak of coronavirus throughout the world, there is much fear and anxiety. The government is trying to allay people's fears but that hasn't kept people from hoarding sanitizers and face masks. And then there are the conspiracy theories that abound, which are quite frightening.
People who would normally be very much in control and level-headed were seen "fighting" over a can of tuna fish at the food co-op in Park Slope, Brooklyn (according to news reports). Say it isn't so! People want to have canned goods on hand, in case, God forbid it gets worse, which is a good idea. But let civility prevail. Maybe we are living in the end times!
There are new guidelines for receiving Holy Communion at Mass, in the Diocese where I am right now....and only the Eucharist will be provided during Communion.  Congregants are encouraged to give a bow or hand gesture instead of a handshake or hug during the Sign of Peace. Sanitizers are being used by the priests and liturgical ministers at Mass.
Holy water has been removed from the Holy water fonts, as a precaution. (Empty holy water fonts? I hope that's not mentioned in the Book of Revelation, as a sign of the end times).
In another part of the world, right in Pope Francis' "backyard," the coronavirus is causing havoc in Italy and also in Iran and South Korea. Pope Francis hasn't been feeling well, but not due to the virus.
The elderly and those with compromised immune systems are in the most danger from coronavirus.
What can we do besides washing our hands properly, using common sense, stop touching our faces as much as possible and pray for the best outcome and an end to the epidemic.
As Christians, we have no other choice but to humble ourselves before God and ask that humankind learns from past mistakes and goes forward smarter and wiser.
Lord, have mercy on us!
NJA

No To Married Priests in the Amazon Region Where Desperately Needed

I'm disappointed in Pope Francis' decision to not follow the guidance and wishes of bishops of the Amazonian region of the world who wanted and needed,  men of excellent virtue for a married clergy, for the sake of giving the people there better access to the sacraments. No to a married clergy in neglected areas of the world, no to making Eucharist more readily available to the poor people of the Amazon.
The Protestants in the Amazon region, must be thrilled..... more Catholics poorly served in that area of the world, will just join the Protestant churches where they are being "fed." This is already happening.....and will sadly continue.
I cannot believe this is what the Holy Spirit wants. ...for poor, marginalized people to be deprived of the sacraments, especially Eucharist. Does the hierarchy of the Church believe that the bishops and priests of the Amazon have made this request lightly or do they live everyday with the reality of Catholics lacking access to the sacraments and pastoral care?
Very sad to me...the Church seems out of touch with realities in the modern world. Young people (the nones) are leaving the church in record numbers. They are distancing themselves from all institutions, not only the Catholic Church......As the elderly die in our church, who will take their place?
There are real problems in our Church and giving in to the request of bishops in the Amazon, who are on the ground, who know the needs of their people and saying "no" we can't help you, is not forward thinking or compassionate, in my humble opinion.
NJA

Should We Be Afraid? Maybe

The Coronavirus which has killed over one thousand people in China and sickened thousands is a zoonotic disease. That means it jumped from animals to humans. Experts believe that it originated in bats, jumped to pangolins (a scaly mammal) and then to humans in a poorly regulated, wet marketplace, in Wuhan, China. In that marketplace, where there were dead and live animals, it was a place where viruses can spread.
The good news is that hopefully there will be a vaccine in the coming months and the strict measures the Chinese government has taken to stop the spread of the virus will work and the pandemic will stop.
But what frightens me is what if another zoonotic disease jumped from animals to humans and was deadly....for everyone....that's a very scary scenario, like a horror movie plot.
That could be the end.
Of course as Christians we have to live in hope. Hope should cast out fear.
But humankind is careless. We've been careless with creation. There is a lot of pride and greed in this world.
We need to respect the natural world and have greater understanding of the conditions that cause zoonotic diseases to thrive.
The unthinkable could happen. It's not that far fetched. I hope and pray it doesn't.
I try to be hopeful. I try to surrender my fears to God. But maybe even God can't save us from ourselves or our carelessness or greed.
NJA

UPDATE: Apparently experts now believe that the coronavirus originated in bats but then jumped not to snakes, as originally reported but to pangolins, a scaly mammal and then to humans. Pangolins are considered the world's most trafficked animals....sadly they are being hunted to extinction. Their keratin scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

"Deaths of Despair" the Working Class in America and the Church

After reading the disturbing article in the New York Times titled, "Who Killed the Knapp Family" by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn which highlighted the decline in the working class in America due to job loss, failed policies and drug and alcohol addiction, I wondered if the Church/churches in America could do more.
According to a Nobel Prize winning economist and his wife who coined the phrase, "deaths of despair,"  to describe the surge of deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide in the working class, they said, "The meaningfulness of the working class life seems to have evaporated," according to Angus Deaton and Anne Case.
Low paying jobs, despair, an apparent lack of constructive social services and feeling left out of prosperity and upward mobility has caused immense problems.
What does the Church have to do with this tragic scenario? I think its an opportunity for the Church to become involved in helping people to find meaning and meaningfulness not only through prayer, Mass and praise and worship but also putting together opportunities along with civic organizations, and government support, to provide job training and learning courses to alleviate despair.
The Church needs to be relevant to people's lives. It needs to look for opportunities to be of service and help those in need. It needs to restore credibility
and one way to do that is do have sensible, realistic programs that provide needed services that can improve people's lives and help the children who are being so damaged by this situation.
If people are in despair and are turning to drugs and alcohol, that is an opportunity to tell people, we can help. We know ways to fill your despair with hope, with courage, with resources that can help.
That's what Jesus would do. He would find ways to heal and give people hope.
NJA

Christmas 2019

Another Christmas has past. There is nothing better than a well done Christmas Liturgy. What's better than hearing a well rehearsed choir sing "Silent Night," on Christmas Eve, in a beautiful, well decorated Church, with family. For me, it doesn't get much better than that.
Christmas is such a beautiful feast, if only all God's children could appreciate the significance of Christmas and what it means for humankind. If only all God's children had enough to eat, a place to call home, people who care for them and a place to worship God.
If only the very rich would do more to help the less fortunate.
If only there was peace on earth and good will towards all.
If only there was more tolerance and understanding and the teachings of Jesus were lived out and acted upon by all Christians.
If only care for the earth would be of concern to all and Pope Francis' encyclical, "Laudato Si-On Care for our Common Home," be appreciated and given priority.
It could happen. Perhaps in the future, humankind will finally get it right.
Christians have to live in hope and so I hope and pray the future and that the next decade in particular will be good and healing for the earth and good for all God's children.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
NJA

Consumerism Is Alive and Well-In Me and Others-Advent 2019

Incredibly Black Friday shoppers spent $7.4 billion dollars online. On Cyber Monday holiday shoppers spent $9.4 billion dollars online (that was up almost 20% from last year).  From November 1st-December 2nd 2019, holiday shoppers have spent 81.5 billion dollars. People are not only buying more items, they are buying more expensive items.
Before I go on, I have to admit that I love to shop. I love to buy presents for other people and I also like buying things for myself. I also like giving stuff away, which I often do.
Having said that, it appears that Pope Francis' call in his Advent homily to "resist the dazzling lights of consumerism, which will shine everywhere this month, and believe that prayer and charity are not lost time, but the greatest treasures," will need more teachings.
He also said, "The meaning of life is not to accumulate." That, of course, is so true. But the bottom line is that, like me, a lot of people like to shop. Even spiritual/religious people, who believe they can (at least I think I can) be spiritual/religious and find time for prayer, Scripture study, volunteer work, Mass, spiritual reading and religious TV shows (as well as Netflix) and still find time to shop.
Am I defending shopping? Yes, I am.
Should faith-filled people spend more time in prayer, in worship, engaged in spiritual reading, bible study and doing good? Of course.
Can we all find a balance? I hope so, because people are not going to stop shopping, especially when Amazon makes it so easy and with one click the item or items are at your front door, the next day.
So as the world becomes more technological and more and more people shop online, people of faith can only hope and pray that people find space for God, time for prayer and for helping others.
Giving Tuesday, the movement described as the "biggest generosity movement of all time," is gaining traction and people are not only donating money but helping others and volunteering. So that's good news.
A Blessed Advent!
NJA