So as everyone knows by now, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting all of us. It may not be in the same way. For some, schools are closing, businesses are telling people to work from home, grocery stores are selling out of the basic essentials and you can't get them online either, and for my fellow Christians and Catholics, your parishes might be canceling or suspending all church gatherings including mass.
I got an email from our parish saying that they were suspending mass, Stations of the Cross, etc for 3 weeks which puts us in Holy Week.
For my fellow Catholics, you know how big of a deal that week is. For those that may not know or understand the importance of that week for us, it is the week where Jesus sat with his apostles at the Last Supper and they celebrated the First Eucharist (known as Holy Thursday).
It was also during that time that he washed the feet of his disciples which showed his humility. For the Savior of Man to be washing their feet was one of the biggest examples of what we should be doing. Washing someone's feet, especially back then, was meant for the lowliest of servants, but Jesus took that role on himself showing that he came "not to be served, but to serve". It's such a unique experience to watch the priests and deacons at our parish carry on this beautiful act.
It was also that same night that Jesus went into the garden before he knew he was about to be taken away to be killed and asked God to let the cup pass from him, but said "not as I will, but you will". Showing us that even he wanted to not suffer, but ultimately he set aside what he wanted and did as his Father willed, even knowing the cruelty that awaited him.
And then you have Good Friday, which is the day that Jesus died. And this is a pretty big deal for all Christians. He died for our sins; a man who had never sinned, who was without fault, died for every single one of our sins. But it wasn't just our sins, he died to wash them away so that the gates of Heaven would once again be open for us to join him and God after our death.
Holy Saturday is our time to still take in his death, but it's also in anticipation for the next day, because we know what's coming. On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead therefore conquering it. Death has no power over us because we have the opportunity to be reunited with our Heavenly Father in Heaven.
Now you may not believe everything I'm saying, or maybe you think I'm totally bonkers, and that's okay. But I just wanted to explain why this week in particular is such a big deal for me as a Catholic Christian and why it's hard to process the possibility of not getting to go to church during that time. But also how that week in particular is helping me through the chaos going on right now.
So here's the thing...I'm not going to lie to you guys and tell you that it's easy or that I'm happy that our parishes have suspended mass for at least 3 weeks, to be honest, I'm not. But I don't really have a choice in the matter, so there's no reason to get myself worked up about it. In the meantime, I'm simply going to keep open communication with God and really take this time to reflect on the Lenten season and prepare my heart for Holy Week.
In the chaos of people freaking out and panicking over the coronavirus, we've forgotten to show our humanity. We've turned to think only of ourselves (some, not everyone, I'm not trying to single anyone out here).
But I urge you to take this time in quarantine (and ideally more than that) to think back at Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and the significance of that. Even if you're not religious, the fact that someone who was held in high regard would get down on his hands and knees and wash the gross, dirty feet of his friends when it was far below his "station", is truly beautiful. I hope it makes you take a closer look at what you can do to help others in this time.
And the bottom line for me guys, is this: if Jesus can go through such an excruciating death, willingly, just for me, then the least I can do is sit at home with my daughter and my husband and keep people safe.
I know this time isn't easy and we are certainly far from it being over, but you all are in my prayers and I hope you all stay safe and healthy. Thank you.