Someone asked me the other day if Covid-19 has changed me, especially
since the freedoms I once enjoyed have taken a back seat to quarantining,
social distancing and wearing masks. My
immediate answer was an off-handed one in which I said, “probably, but it has
been too long so I don’t remember.”
Looking back on this flippant response, it caused me to start looking
into actual changes that have happened during this past year and where it is
leading me.
First and foremost is a deep sadness I have for those who have lost
loved ones to Covid-19. What affects me
most is that they cannot be with their loved ones through their time of
suffering and/or at the end of their lives.
Though I have known people who have suffered long periods of time prior
to their death from illnesses such as cancer and heart diseases, their loved
ones had an opportunity to experience some type of closure. What am I doing to be there for others in
need?
Another change involves the marking of time. As my wife, Candi, remarked to me recently, I
don’t seem to use my time wisely these days.
It wasn’t so much of procrastinating, as it was I thought I could
accomplish several tasks in a short period but the time went faster than my
mind could adapt. Time either goes too
fast or too slow in my assessment, but it really stays the same. How can I better use my time more
productively and efficiently?
The most important area of concern for me is am I fulfilling the
purpose for which God created me. It is
not a matter of living up to one’s potential, but of focusing on using the
gifts God has given me to the best of my ability. Like the story of Noah in the first reading
from the Book of Genesis, God’s covenant with Noah to never destroy humans by a
flood is telling us that He is not giving up on us. By our Baptism, we cannot give up on God
either. We need to take responsibility
for our actions. We need to pray to
allow God to actively work in our lives to fulfill His mission for us.
In St. Mark’s Gospel today Jesus goes to the desert for forty days to
be tested by the Evil One, Satan, at the beginning of His ministry. Though this Gospel version does not embellish
on what happened between Jesus and Satan, we know He got through it and was
ministered by His angels. Jesus said no
to Satan, but yes to God, His Father, because He knew the future would provide
a better life both on earth and later in heaven. We too need to use this as a life lesson to
understand and overcome conflicts in ours.
On Ash Wednesday, we started the 40 days of Lent which will culminate
in the Paschal Mystery of Easter, God’s sacrifice for our soul to be one with
Him in faith, hope and love. Let us take
this time to look deeply into our heart, mind and soul to see how we are living
our lives. Is it for God, or Satan? Have we become passive as disciples, or are
we proactive in searching out all the opportunities God gives us in both good
and bad times? In essence, it should be
a time for personal reflection on where we stand as Christians and help us find
who we really are.
Reading 1: Genesis 9: 8-15
Reading 2: First Peter 3: 18-22
Gospel: Mark 1: 12-15
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