Tag Archives: caring for the poor

Fear

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I am staying at home. I can do my work from home and my kids are very concerned for me. Of course I love them for it but it does remind me that I am at an increased risk.

I just found out someone I know has CoVid -19. She’s gotten through the worst and is recovering but as scary as this pandemic is, finding out that it is that close is, well, making it personal.
I was in a webinar with some of our experienced colleagues in Spiritual Direction. One of them was dealing with the disease and spoke freely about the fear. So we talked about how to help our directees deal with the fear. I thought, yes, this is the challenge I face. I am scared for myself, my family, all those away from me and most especially for those without the resources I have. I bring all of this into my sessions with my own clients. I don’t want this state to be my way of being. So I pray. But I am needing to pray more to stay present. To help others deal with this fear, I must deal with it myself..
We must realize that fear is normal and truly a gift from God designed to keep us safe. So we must welcome this fear, name it, allow ourselves to feel it and talk to God about it. It is in this time of prayer where we can give the fear over to God, accept that we are not alone in it and use that energy to move us forward. It helps to say it out loud, too.  Talking to someone else can be a release as well.
Just breathing helps. I usually breathe in the Spirit and breathe out what I don’t want. Fear, anxiety, worry, that feeling of helplessness, the knowledge that I don’t have any control. This relaxes you, grounds you, and reminds you that God is present. It makes a difference and you can make choices that are born out of being loved rather than personal angst.
The truth is that fear makes sense in these times but in God there is hope and a way of looking at the world that allows you to use that energy to be part of the positive – be kind, reach out (by phone or letter or social media!) to others. Give a donation to help keep those in need fed, sheltered etc. Breathe and talk to God. Then let fear move you to action.

HOLY WEEK

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Palm Sunday ushers in Holy Week. It is a week that marks the center of the Church Year. It is the most sacred time of the year for me. I find myself thinking about the life of Jesus and the risks he IMG_0141atook to promote God’s view of the world where all are loved, all are precious and equal in the eyes of God. We all have differing gifts but we are each loved and cherished by the God who created us. Sharing that message in that time was dangerous because the power structure kept the poor at the bottom suffering greatly, while those at the top basked in glory with much wealth. The message is the same today. Here in the U.S. we run the risk of falling into that same social situation if we don’t remember to care for each other and for the poor in particular. My last post showed a dollar amount that could end poverty. I was astonished and while I realize it isn’t a simple task wouldn’t it be nice if people just thought about it. If in this week of remembrance of Jesus and his commitment to God’s desire for love in the world, we would try to think in that way – that God is wanting us to build up those who are hurting even if it requires sacrifice on our part? Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, we are only asked to sacrifice a little. It might make the celebration of Easter that much more bright, meaningful and real. Maybe we will be moved to action.