Isolation Serenade

Source: psychiatryadvisor.com

These are challenging days; especially for daily communicants of our Church. There were no Masses we could attend in person and so, we were grateful for the television stations who were broadcasting a daily Mass.

I feel privileged to be able to afford cablevision; I could watch the Mass on several stations at different times of the day. Some of them offered a spiritual communion prayer which has been especially meaningful for those praying at home.

This virus has isolated us from our community of church friends, but it could not steal from us the gift of song that comes to us every year from God’s songsters. If you are fortunate like I am to have mature trees on your street, then each morning these melodies will start your day and fill your heart with hope that better days lie ahead.

Apart from the robins, I am not familiar with the names of all of these songbirds; I am just grateful for their gift of song. And sprinkled in with this morning music are the calls of the blue jays and the announcements of the crows. The streets have been alive with these sounds of new life and thanksgiving that the snow is gone and the beautiful perennials are bursting forth in our flower beds.

This year our Easter celebration was very different, as was the birthday of our church, the Feast of Pentecost. Instead of sharing as a community, we had to make a plan for personal prayer time in our homes. For those living alone, we set aside the appropriate hours as if we would be attending a service in person. For families, a union of their prayers through the rosary, stations of the cross and personal prayer intentions offered them a treasured memory of prayer as a family.

It is not easy to be accepting of all of these new rules and changes but we who are believers must trust that this is God’s world and He will always make good things come from the difficult times. Let us look around us and see the kindness that is offered. I have no car and received a dozen calls the first week of isolation from friends concerned with my needs.

Some of these people were on their way to a grocery store and said they would be happy to pick up a few items for me. How blessed I felt for each of those calls. Other friends called just to ask how I was doing, and wanted to check on me.

The rules are changing now and so we will be able to worship together once more. Even though we will need to distance ourselves, the Lord will be available once more through the Eucharist, and we will pray with our church family, thanking God for His protection. Many families lost loved ones during the pandemic; let us keep them in our prayers because funerals were not able to be attended in the usual ways.

Let us pray especially for a future that will remind us to slow down, trust more in God’s will and have grateful hearts for the simple blessings of our lives. We need to pray also for the suffering, those who are recovering from the COVID-19 virus, the tired bodies of the health care workers, and those who are trying to stretch their unemployment money to make ends meet.  The government has tried to offer solutions and assistance, but many people are having financial difficulties because of a lack of full-time employment.

This time will pass, and hopefully, we will have grown from the discipline and stamina needed to weather this pandemic. May our eyes be opened to the needs of our neighbours and family members and may our churches be fuller as more souls yearn for Jesus as the gift of His Holy Eucharist is publicly celebrated again.

Jesus, we trust in You and we thank You for helping us through this unusual experience.

Joan Levy Earle was an author and artist living in Cornwall, Ontario. She was the former Associate Editor of the Canadian Messenger of the Sacred Heart magazine.

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3 Comments
  • Peggy Spencer
    Posted at 05:44h, 23 July Reply

    A beautiful article Joan, and a strong reminder to all of us that all these little actions from neighbours and friends are so important at this time. Not sure at what scale this is happening, but at least, we can hope and pray that this caring trend will continue and be a great example to others. Even just a smile to a stranger in the supermarket may make someone’s day.

  • Peter Bisson
    Posted at 08:32h, 23 July Reply

    Thank you Joan! I’m Enjoying some birdsong right now.

  • Lorraine Majcen
    Posted at 22:30h, 23 July Reply

    Thank you Joan, for your reminders to be grateful, for the many simple things, we take for granted. It is easy to become weary of this new way of life, but it won’t last forever. Sacrifice as we know it, is good for the soul. We just have to be patient, and as you so very well stated, must trust, in the Lords will and plan for us.

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