Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Readings of the Day

How long do we have to journey in the wilderness before we get into the same attitudes as the children of Israel? The present global situation is pretty bad and largely just beginning. February 25, 2020, the day I agreed to write this Lenten reflection, there were just 57 cases of coronavirus in the United States and of those, 40 of them connected to the Diamond Princess cruise ship. One brief month later, the U.S. became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are in a global wilderness without answers. We are roaming in decisions about adequate supplies, essential businesses and jobs, school closings, social distancing, personal health, agency resources, and more. Likely, many of us arrived to this pandemic wilderness already tired, and our patience worn out. Today’s readings remind us to contemplate our response.

Let us pray, “O LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you. Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress.” When we are overwhelmed and cannot grasp what is going on in the world, with our clients or in our own lives, let’s look toward what we do know. At Catholic Charities, we know the command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul” and to “love your neighbor”. We have the examples of Moses and David seeking God. They cry out from the pains of their own heart, and they plead with God for their neighbors.

In the Gospel, Jesus makes the bold statement of not belonging to this world. What does that even look like? What does that look like now? What does that look like in this season of Lent? 

The best part is Jesus' reminding us: "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.”

Jesus was not alone. And neither are we. Let us go back to God, and do what is pleasing to Him. 

Malissa Geer serves as Sr. Director of Community, Faith and Volunteer Engagement for Catholic Charities Community Services in the Diocese of Phoenix. Her team focuses on securing volunteer, in-kind and partnership resources for their mission work to serve the most vulnerable with solutions that permanently improve lives. She enjoys community development, teaching, supporting dreams, and loving God and people – especially her daughters Elliot (18) and Aldyn (16).

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