Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings of the Day

Without God’s omnipotence, there was no way to anticipate the coronavirus. Its impact is felt deeply during the sacred Lenten season by driving society to practice social distancing, isolation, and quarantine - not to mention the suspension of public Mass and worship. For many of us who flock to the Eucharist for comfort, we are left feeling alone and restrained. Knowing we can still benefit from our spiritual community, take a moment to consider the discomfort our brothers and sisters without faith must be experiencing.

It can already be hard to reconcile the image of a charitable, loving God with what we see in the world. Add in the pandemic filled with chaos, uncertainty, isolation, and death, and the challenge becomes overwhelming. Yet for those who listen, the opening words of today's readings greet us with a command from the prophet Hosea: "Come, let us return to the Lord ... he will heal us."

These words invite us to exercise our ever-growing faith by casting aside the doubts and fears that prevent us from being fully united with God. They invite us to step into the trust that what God has promised, He will fulfill. He may choose a different path of communication than we are comfortable with, but communicate He will. And in pursuit of healing our hearts, He continues.

As each of us know from our work, healing does not look the same for everyone. What heals one client may be only a small part of another's healing journey. Who better than God, who loved us into existence, to know the kind of healing we need? His promise of healing does not ring hollow; it is our expectation of when His words will be fulfilled that falls short.

During times of great uncertainty, we as workers in the vineyard are called to remember that our faith is a gift. We share in the joyful hope that Christ will come in the Resurrection, and that our Lent (physically and metaphorically!) will eventually end. Each of us knows instinctively that our work is important now more than ever. Selfless generosity will allow the fruits of faith to grow, and propel us forward to continue meeting the evolving needs of God's people.

As Christ says in today's gospel, "…everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Of all days, and in all times, what a joy-filled reminder to be grateful for what gift of faith we do have. Together we can pray for those who are struggling to hold their faith in this time, ourselves included, and continue to work onward and upward. We can ask humbly for God to grow the faith He has given us, and for the grace to entrust our deepest fears for an uncertain future in Christ's eternal love, not only for ourselves but also for those we serve.

Lacy de la Garza is a psychology masters’ graduate of the University of Dallas and has worked in client-facing non-profit for many years. Currently, she serves as the senior program manager for parish, community, and volunteer engagement at Catholic Charities Dallas where she ensures all in the community are aware of the good work being done and how to get involved.

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