Job says, ‘life is a drudgery, endless night; I shall not see happiness again’. Job lost his
health, wealth and family. He wonders, ‘what is happening to me? Doesn’t God care’?;
he felt forgotten by God, a sense of loss and anger consumed him. The whole world is
going through a Job like experience during this pandemic, praying and hoping for
healing, deliverance. Job almost gave up but at the end of his painful journey, he was
able to surrender and say to the Lord: ‘I was the man who misrepresented your
intentions with my ignorant words. You have told me about great works that I cannot
understand, the marvels beyond me, of which I know nothing. Before, I knew you only
by hearsay but now having seen you with my own eyes, I retract what I have said, and
repent in dust and ashes’ [Job 42:2-6]. It was a prayer of a broken-heart, saying like
Jesus: ‘let this cup pass from me but thy will be done’. Our life’s woundedness is
Jesus’ woundedness! Jesus is the compassionate one who suffers with us, who comes
into our life to comfort and give us peace. When trapped in anxiety, God comes
through, the God who suffered comes through! His grace helps us to carry the cross of
suffering and transform it to love, serve and give faith witness to show that life and
death are in Christ.
Ada Alonso [from Italy] shares her story of anxiety, her Father’s death from Covid,
prayer of faith and reconciliation in the family: ‘In March my dad was admitted to the
hospital. My fear and dread of my dad contracting Covid came true; I thought of Jesus
on the cross and called my friends to ask for their prayers. My brothers, sister and I set
up a chat room online to be in touch with each other because we couldn’t be together
with dad at the hospital; before this we rarely get to speak to each other. It was difficult
not to talk to dad, especially for my oldest brother Luis who was kind of estranged from
dad. When dad’s final moment was drawing near we gathered together to pray the
Rosary over zoom. The nurse on duty one day was a friend of dad and she would let
two of us to go in to see him. I wanted my brothers Luis and John to go see dad. It was
hard for me to make that decision and not able to see dad but I felt accompanied by
Jesus on the cross and Mary his mother standing below. When dad died I felt all peace
left my soul. Friends assured me of their prayers for him and that dad wasn’t alone,
Mary the blessed mother was with him to guide him home. My brother Luis was able to
speak to dad and he felt free of all hurt that kept him away from dad all these years. He
said we all have to make an effort to be together and share our lives more often’.
Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law. He helps people to stand on their feet, to find
purpose and shows that a God who loves is with them. He lifts us up and delivers from
many demons that diminish life: fear, guilt, addiction, bitterness, low self-esteem etc.
Amidst bad things happening, Jesus turns our hearts to the good we can seek and do,
like Peter’s mother in law; grace, blessing is to serve, care and be hospitable. Do not
dwell on tragedies, setbacks; do not let grief harden your hearts but be meek, gentle
and show empathy to all who suffer. Our weakness helps us to be compassionate and
be companions of all who suffer. To make some sense out of pain, emptiness,
loneliness and to be a caring person, Jesus teaches the necessity of prayer. Early in the
morning Jesus retreats to silence to pray, to converse with the Father. Prayer brings
balance, peace in life’s many complexities and guides us through the darkness of
suffering to love more deeply. Our faith is purified, strengthened at the foot of the
cross!