Dear Friends,
On the third Sunday of Lent, we are invited to reflect on the insatiable thirst experienced by every human person, a thirst that can never be satiated until we encounter the true source of refreshment. The thirst for that living water began to plague humanity when our first parents rebelled against God and can only be quenched by Our Lord Jesus who says, “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst” (John 4: 14). How blessed are we to have the opportunity to drink from the fountain of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist we celebrate!
We live in dark times now, with this unknown and unpredictable coronavirus afflicting every aspect of life, including closure of places of worship. In his Angelus message delivered on March 8th 2020, Pope Francis said, “I join my brother bishops in encouraging the faithful to live this difficult moment with the strength of faith, the certainty of hope and the fervor of charity.” He added, “The season of Lent helps us all to give an evangelical sense also to this moment of trial and pain.”
I pray that all stay healthy and take the necessary precautions to avoid the spread of this debilitating virus. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home, rest, and know that you are in my daily prayers.
I am forever inspired by Psalm 91, a source of comfort during difficult times, and I offer the following prayer:
Prayer Against Coronavirus:
Gracious and Loving Father in heaven, our refuge, our stronghold, and fortress, our God in whom we trust. We come to you imploring your loving intervention at the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and its crippling effects on our lives. We sincerely trust that you will rescue us from the fowler’s snare and from this destructive plague, and that your faithfulness will be our protecting shield. You have assured us that we shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon. You invite us to cling to you and to call upon your name in times of distress. Command your angels to guard us in our ways, lest we become targets of this debilitating virus.
Please do not be mindful of our failures and shortcomings, but in your merciful love protect, heal, and deliver us from this present predicament. We ask this through our Lord Jesus who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
With Love, Fr. John