(First published in the West Nebraska Register, May 8, 2020)
It would be silly for me to write about anything other than what is one everyone’s minds these day—but honestly, I’ve been putting off this article until the last minute possible. This world is so confusing and chaotic and it’s hard finding reasonable wording to explain the feeling we all have.
My husband and I are currently living in Dodge City, Kansas, and we have been on governor’s orders to stay at home since March 30 and, at this time, are set to last until May 4. This has included the comments theme around the states of Mass being canceled and moving to virtual celebrations.
As for many Catholics, this move has been devastating to adjust to and difficult to understand. I pray every day for our priests and bishops who have the most difficult responsibility of making the tough decisions for our physical, spiritual and emotional well-being, and I know this decision is one for the history books and one they didn’t want to have to make.
There have been two blatant thoughts running through my head during this COVID-19 world situation and the quarantine orders.
The first being, I really strive and live for community. Although my husband and I have only been married for 8 months by the time this is published, we have spent less than 10 weekends—including during quarantine—with just the two of us. We are people-people and we spend many of our weekends traveling to see our families back in Nebraska and friends in all different states. Even if we are in Kansas on a weekend, we are often making plans with co-workers or friends .We like to travel, and we like to be around others.
I’ve always been one to find God in other people. I hear Him and see Him in the people around me, and it has been tough to not have that. I’ve felt broken and away from God during this quarantine, but it has also allowed me to really dig into myself and into my personal relationship with God. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, and it has been scary for me, but in this time away from others, it has been made clear to me just how important taking silent time away from everyone else to process what God is trying to say to you is necessary. And as much as I want to go back home to visit family and friends, I’m grateful for this opportunity to spend time with God alone.
The second thing is how much I took the Eucharist for granted. When I was teaching Totus Tuus for two summers, I told the kids every week how important going to Mass was. I told them about people around the world who aren’t able to go to Mass and the great lengths these people go to in order to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. I reminded these kids how lucky they were and reminded them to never take it for granted, but, I did. I realized I wasn’t practicing what I had preached for two summers. I realized I wasn’t truly listening at Mass when the Eucharistic prayer was being said, I wasn’t being grateful for the amazing opportunity to have Jesus come and live inside me every time I partook of the Eucharist. This realization has made me more desperate to receive Jesus again. This honor we have every week is something to be treasured. It truly is the greatest gift we can receive on earth.
I am unsure there is a conclusion to be had other than I am praying for everyone—or those affected by loneliness during this virus, for those affected by the virus, for the loved ones of the sick, for the healthy to stay that way, for the safety and well-being of all our priests and bishops swimming in troubled waters and for the whole world to be saved by the healing touch of our Lord.
These times are scary and are forcing us to think about things never encountered before, but during these times, I am reminded of Jesus’ passion—how He cried out, wept and agonized over the confusing and troubling things about to face Him, about the torture and torment He faced even before carrying His heavy cross and about His traumatizing death on that cross. I’m reminded of Jesus’ glorious Resurrection following His earthly loneliness when His friends left Him and how He was raised up—as we all will be in the end.
“Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday.” —Ven. Fulton Sheen
Additionally, this is likely my last column published in the West Nebraska Register with the diocesan move to the West Nebraska Catholic magazine, so I would like to say thank you to Mary, Colleen, Bishop Dendinger and Bishop Hanefeldt in allowing me the space to share my thoughts through this column. And I’d like to thank all of you, whether you’ve read one column, or if you’ve been here all the way since the first, I’m grateful for every reader and for every comment to me, my grandma or my parents about reading these columns. I’ve been blessed beyond measure. If you’d like to continue to follow my columns and have access, you can check out my blog at LikeItsWorthIt.Wordpress.com.
Like It's Worth It 