We are Living Bread for Others

In my reflection today, I am going to wander away from the Gospel of the day. Last weekend I attended all of the masses at our Church. It was our first week back, since March 15, and so much has happened in our world, I wanted to be with our community. The day and the celebrations of the Eucharist were beautiful. Though we were few (we were following the CDC guidelines), we celebrated Jesus present among us.

At the 11:00 mass, I lost focus early in the celebration and never regained it. God drew me down another path, and I follow where He leads.
Father Jerry began mass as he always does. In his energetic and joy-filled voice, he asked, “Well, how are you feeling?” Usually, the echoes back are words like tremendous and beautiful. However, this past Sunday, I heard words like isolated, alone, and afraid mixed in with the great and wonderful.

Last night on the news, the lead story concerned Coronavirus deaths nearing 100,000. Some are not taking the virus seriously and are indiscriminately flaunting their disregard for the disease. Others are extraordinarily cautious to the point of paranoia. Like many other things of late in our society, this disease divides us rather than uniting us.

The words I heard echoed in our Church on Sunday have haunted me. Isolated. Alone. Afraid. Not so different from the disciples who were self-quarantining in an upper room and only going out for essential supplies. Those words came from the people who were at Church, who felt able to come out, even if perhaps they shouldn’t have, just to be with the community and to pray together. What are the feelings of those who can’t go out and can’t have others in? I am worried about our people.

I think Jesus knew how the Disciples felt. I think he came to them in the Upper Room and on the way to Emmaus because he knew His Disciple’s anxiety. They felt lost and alone. They were afraid. They were being threatened with death. Very much like now.

Here are some random facts to know. Domestic violence is increasing, suicides and attempted suicides have increased in the last 6 weeks. Depression is rampant in all age groups. These threats are real, as real as the virus we don’t understand. We often don’t know until it is too late that someone we know and love is suffering.

Even though television advertising would make you think depression is no longer a taboo subject. For the many who experience it, it most certainly is taboo. People quickly tell us of their aches and pains, but very seldom does someone say, “I am struggling with depression.” Physical ailments are acceptable, but mental illness is still considered a personal failure and weakness. The unspoken disease that afflicts far more than we know, most notably at this time of uncertainty.

With the isolation and fear for many comes a malaise, and depression. I am afraid for our people, and I am worried we are getting lazy, as this drags on, about taking care of each other. We are nearing 100,000 deaths in our country, no doubt it has already touched, if only through friends and family, our community. No doubt, it will affect us too, either personally or through those we love.

Jesus came to His Disciples in their fear, isolation, and lostness. He spoke with them, comforted them, assuaged their fear, and even cooked a meal for them. Jesus ascended to the Father and commanded us to be His presence in the world. This weekend we will celebrate Pentecost and the gifts of the Spirit given to strengthen us for our journey in God’s name.

What we must do now could not be clearer. We must be Jesus for the people in our community. Laziness and apathy cannot overtake our desire to help one another. We must be Jesus for the lonely, the isolated, and the fearful. We must be Jesus making the phone call and chatting for a long time. We must be Jesus listening to the painful silence of fear and sharing our love and care. We must be Jesus cooking dinner or dessert and drop it off as a surprise for a friend. We can send flowers that will brighten a lonely life, and most importantly, we can speak words of love to one another.

With all it has stripped from us, the virus cannot take our love for one another. It cannot take our responsibility to be Eucharist for one another. Today, and every day, but most especially today, we must be living bread for others. Our spiritual and our physical lives depend on it.

In God’s Unending Love,

Gwen