Pandemic – Margery Frisch

Mediation

When I was a child, living with my large and crazy family, my father once told me I was the mediator of all the siblings. I think I had to go look the word up in the dictionary – what’s a mediator? When I learned the meaning of the word, I felt proud that I, one of the youngest, was deemed the one to settle disputes and bring about truces.

Where my sibling are concerned, I haven’t had to use this skill in a very long while. I hope this gift hasn’t become rusty with lack of use though, because this pandemic seems to be creating a rift between my sons and it weighs heavy on my heart. I bring this concern to God daily in my prayers and I ask for the ability to find the words to say to each of them that will smooth out these troubled waters.

There have not been angry words spoken, just hurt feelings. One is not afraid to get together; wants to see his brother and family, the other is taking every precaution and is fearful of contracting the virus. He was the one eager to get the vaccine, his brother is refusing to get it. Will the one ever feel it’s safe to be around his brother again? The tension builds and I am squarely in the middle.

Though I do talk to each of them gently, softly and, I hope, with very little applied pressure, I do constantly remind them of their strong familial love for each other. Differences of opinion on a pandemic that will one day pass should not destroy what a lifetime has built up.

Prayer has been my constant. Of all the hardships the pandemic has brought about, I never thought it would rock this foundation of love. Deep down in my heart I know the foundation is strong, and I know my prayers will one day be answered, but isn’t it typical to want and expect immediate results from our prayers?

I’ve been reading about St. Alphonsus Liguori, who died on the 1^st of August in 1787 and whose feast we celebrate today. A writer of over 100 books, his Prayer, the Great Means of Salvation, eventually gained him the title “Doctor of Prayer” by the Catholic Church. He, and his strong devotion to the Mother of God, has inspired me.

I strongly believe in the power of prayer and I am certain it will get all of us through these difficult situations the pandemic has created in our lives. And, as a mother, I am also compelled to invoke the intercession of Our Blessed Mother – the greatest mediator of them all. Hear our prayer!

Find the Joy

I know, I know, it’s becoming more and more difficult to remain positive. For over a year we’ve been locked down and isolated – from our loved ones…from our former lives. Turmoil and confusion are the general order of the day, but let’s not despair. There are two things happening right now that we can look to with joy and hope: the blessed season of Easter…and the perennial season of spring!

I love the Acts of the Apostles; reading Acts is like having a front row seat in the planning stages of the early Church: the apostles working everything out; remembering and following Jesus’ direction. The words are infused with the excitement of these new Christians; a contagious energy that can’t help but fill us with the same excitement and joy.

The gospels unfold in a similar way, beginning with the Apostles hiding behind locked doors, despairing Jesus’ death. We see their fear and disbelief at his initial appearance; timid and uncertain at first, eventually they are filled with a joy that gives them a sense of power and purpose. The readings during the Easter season are Good News indeed!

At exactly the same time, the temperature is rising outside. Flowers are showing themselves and the buds on the trees are more pronounced with each new day. The days are longer too allowing us to enjoy the outdoors without freezing to death. Go for a walk, listen to the birds and the peepers and find joy as God renews the face of the earth.

Since we can’t be with our families, we need distractions to keep us from dwelling on that fact. How about sending cards or letters to your grandchildren – going completely old school? Ask them to write back. Begin new traditions. COVID-19 will forever be the turning point in our lives. From here on in, stories and events will be remembered as pre-COVID and post-COVID. Begin new practices with your family that will continue post-COVID. Prayer is always a good place to start. Prayer centers us, and directs us away from ourselves to the needs of others, and during this pandemic everyone needs our prayers! There are those who are sick with the virus, those with cancer whose operations and treatments have been compromised and, in some cases, delayed; there are those with anxiety issues that are heightened during these frightening times. In addition to all of this, we have people who, though understandably angry and fed up, are thwarting our best efforts, leaving us discouraged and confused. We all need prayer!

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will not abandon us. The last day I was able to attend Mass, these words in the Preface Acclamation (Holy, holy, holy) jumped out at me: Heaven and earth are full of your glory, and it’s true. By remaining positive we will see it. Pray those words aloud: Heaven and earth are full of your glory! Then get some fresh air – get outside and find the glory…find the joy! by Margery Frisch