I was pouring over the news in the morning, and read that a cancer patient in NYC took his own life, after finding out he was infected with the Corona Virus. The nurses found him and tried to revive him but it was too late for him.
This is how I started my reflection on what I have been doing during this pandemic. Since I was following it back in January, I have been watching and waiting for it to resolve itself. Slowly, I saw it move to other countries and knew it was a matter of time before it was on our shores.
Fast forward, and here it is. My family is safe in our apartment, and while we have food, love, shelter, I still wish I could do more to help my family out. However, the more I attempt to do something, the more I find myself pulling away from them. I’m checking the news, contacting loved ones, and they are contacting me (about the news), everything is about the pandemic.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s important current events, we are living through history, but, it’s not the only history that’s going on right now. All around us, amazing things are happening, people are still getting married, children are still being born (they come when it’s their time), and sadly, those will pass from other causes.
The Virus has many of us running around looking for some sort of solace. We are looking for that peace of mind, that reassurance that everything is going to be okay. So we watch the news, listen to the President, Governors, and Mayors. They all have something important to say about this virus. I’ve heard from everyone who is anyone to tell me about what this virus has the potential to do with my body—my lungs. I haven’t heard from those who I needed to hear from the most.
The startling silence that many of us hear (or don’t hear) is from our Bishops. We are not hearing much from many of them to help our souls. To assure the people that God has not left us. Many of us know that God is always with us, but many of us need to hear that—like our spouse needs to hear “I love you.” Instead, many of us is walking through a spiritual desert. The Churches shut, Adoration closed, confessions forbidden (in some areas), and sadly—the dying cannot even receive their last rights.
Yes, we have many leaders tho guide our world. We may like them or not. But who is helping the souls most in need? Those who are afraid of death, and yet going through it? Who is helping those souls who dive themselves to despair, thinking God doesn’t love them? They are a alone. This shouldn’t be. This is not how the body of Christ works. We have to help each other.
There are many people who will die for many reasons—but they will be alone. We cannot be with them due to our restrictions physically but that does not render us helpless and useless. As a Christian body, let us raise up our voices and pray for the souls in the hospital, sick, cancer, those who are alone to night in their rooms and in their own homes. They are not a lone. Just as the Mass unites us, let our prayers reach out to the darkest corners and touch the hearts of those who are suffering.
If we can help it, let’s try to prevent what happened to the cancer patient who took his own life. I don’t know much about him other than that, but he—among others—is who I mourn for today. It’s for his soul I cry. God has made him beautiful regardless of his illness, and he was loved.
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