Jesus explained: “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things andenter into his glory?” (Lk 24:26). We as Christians recognize the Cross as essential to our lives and necessary for spiritual growth. One thing is certain, the COVID crisis has meant suffering for everyone. Using the imagery of the Song of Songs, I was able to show how the ministerial priest radiates the beauty of Christ the Bridegroom, and perfects the beauty of the Christ’s bride, the Church. Instead, I commemorated it by writing a 300-page book on the priesthood over that intense three-month period. Personally, I was frustrated by hardly being able to celebrate my 25th anniversary of ordination during the lockdown. One woman, frustrated in working from home, has decided to transition from her usual work to pursue her dream of becoming a life coach. I know many people who have made extraordinary changes in their lives, reinventing themselves by starting new careers or caring more for family members. The pandemic has made us re-examine our priorities and re-evaluate the status quo in our lives. There have been so many opportunities to show charity toward one another, especially those who are poor, weak and needy. People have been tried in the virtue of patience in bearing with self and one another. During the pandemic, I have witnessed growth in the virtue of humility in the realization of how little we are in control and need to depend on God and one another. In our stripped-down existence, we may discover new life being generated. But the soil is fertile, and with a little rain, old seeds generate new plants. The desert seems to be barren of plant life. He wants us to hunger and thirst for his Body and Blood in the Eucharist, the manna in the desert which sustains us on our journey through this life to life eternal. He wants us to rediscover the value of prayer, especially with his Word in the Scriptures. Jesus, who himself endured the desert, wants us to realize his presence to us in the emptiness we feel in our hearts. The desert affords us the opportunity to unite more fully with the Lord. Desert dwellers seek a barren physical environment for the same reason that they seek an undistracted mind, namely, to reduce the struggle to its barest and most essential elements. The desert is a place that symbolizes the test of endurance with two possible outcomes – victory or succumbing. We either don’t want to be there out of reluctance and fear, or we freely go there with some strong and set purpose, which is at least necessary to pass through it. The desert is barren and inhospitable, often the abode of wild animals and snakes, and subject to extremes of temperature. God seems to be clearing away non-essential things to make us realize what is truly important. And yet in the emptiness, many have discovered the fullness of God’s presence. In many ways, the COVID experience has been a desert existence, stripped down and empty. We often feel vulnerable, out of control and fearful. We have felt the devastation of the COVID pandemic – the loss of precious loved ones, the absence of meaningful connection, unemployment, economic ruin, family stress, and the challenge of educating our children. We feel imprisoned in our homes, isolated from others, desperately wishing to go back out into society to live our normal lives. Like Chesterton, we might be looking to escape our confinement of living in our current circumstances. “How about you?” And Chesterton replied, “I would choose Thomas’s Guide to Practical Ship Building.” One writer said without hesitation: “The complete works of Shakespeare.” Another said, “I’d choose the Bible.” They turned to Chesterton. Chesterton and several other literary figures were asked one evening what book they would prefer to have with them if stranded on a desert isle.
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