EASTER IN THE FACE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC

For us Christians, Easter is more than just a religious celebration. Easter symbolizes FAITH, LOVE, HOPE, and SALVATION.

In the midst of the COVID pandemic, Easter becomes very meaningful.  In the past, we may take it as just ONE OF THE HOLIDAYS.  We look forward to it as a family occasion or a trip to one of our dream destinations.  Sometimes, because of the excitement, we even neglect to find time to reflect on it.

This year, is definitely different.  We have at some point given more time to reflect and pray during the Holy Days. For sure, we have prayed more often and more seriously than ever.  We had been more attentive to the readings and homilies in the masses.  We had been more prayerful not only for our personal intentions but also for others.  In the past, we may have missed attending masses for some reasons.  But now, we search the web for masses and prayers. And most beautiful of all is that, we have tried to reach out to help others despite our own inadequacies. 

This Holy Week, we have Unknowingly, participated in the Passion of Christ under the condition of the COVID pandemic. 

In Christ’s time, He suffered the humiliation, the false accusation, the betrayal, the pain of the lashings and physical exhaustion, the agony of bearing the CROWN of thorns and the weight of our sins.

In today’s time, we also suffered the humiliation and discrimination of being COVID-positive or COVID-exposed like the frontliners, the PUIs and the PUMs.  Some people are also falsely accused for diverting or squandering funds despite their efforts to help the poor.  Other people are suffering because of the betrayal of others for not telling the truth about COVID exposure, thus, resulting to widespread contagion and even deaths to many.  The pain of physical and mental exhaustion is now sipping through our health workers.  The mental anguish that has tortured us for sometime has brought us nightmares and paranoia,  especially, with infected family members or those on the brink of death caused by the virus. All of us are now bearing the crown, the CORONA virus, too heavy for us to bear.  This is our modern-day PASSION, the CROSS we have to bear. 

But, just like Christ, we, too, will have our resurrection from the quagmire of the pandemic and the uncertainty of the time. This, too, WILL PASS, as our faith assures us. PATIENCE is a VIRTUE.  Patience in waiting, like we patiently waited on Black Saturday for the resurrection of the Lord.

EASTER is FAITH. 

The fact that we believe that there is a God and we believe in His Words, we hold on to the doctrine of Easter.  There will always be a resurrection in our lives.  As we would fall out, we will always rise and be delivered from our downfall because of our faith in our God, our savior.  Right now, the greatest factor that helps us brave the storm of COVID is our faith that God will protect us.

EASTER is LOVE.

Easter is the overwhelming love of God for humanity.  In this pandemic, despite the chaos, we see the manifest of God’s love in many HELPING and  WORKING HANDS for people to survive.  The COVID pandemic is not a scourge from God. It is a CHALLENGE - a TEST OF FAITH and a TEST OF PERSONALITY, and we need to be STRONG in both.  God sees a sick world that needs to be CLEANSED, to be PURGED.  He needs to do something to make it more livable for you and me. God sees everything and knows when to lift His Hand and salvage us from the danger and the perils of death from sin and human decadence.  God’s love is mirrored in every act of giving and helping so that humanity will face the challenge and rise victorious over the horrors of the Covid pandemic.

EASTER is HOPE. 

The hope that at the end of the tunnel of darkness, there is light, and that light is Christ.  Life is a cycle, that everyone passes through.  With God’s help, we will rise victorious over the horrors we are facing now.  If we go on bended knees and humbly ask for forgiveness, God listens and considers our sincerity.  He is compassionate, forgiving and merciful, but, we must also do our part.  As the saying goes, “nasa tao ang GAWA, nasa Diyos ang AWA”.

EASTER is SALVATION. 

Christ’s resurrection is proof that He is the Son of God and was sent by God, the Father for our sake. Sin has separated us from God, but Christ’s dying on the Cross is the link that brings us back to God.  Christ died for us to be saved. Let us always remember that GOD NEVER FORSAKES US, it is US WHO DESERT GOD in favor of our material and selfish intentions.  With COVID, many have renewed their relationship with God and fellowmen and fortified their faith in the hope of salvation.

In this our trying times, let our FAITH be GREATER than our fear.  As ONE NATION and as ONE PEOPLE of God, let us Face Everything And Rise.

May the JOY and HOPE of EASTER bring us PEACE and CALM as we journey in the storm of the pandemic.

Let us REJOICE and be GLAD in this OUR NEW DAY that the Lord has MADE! (Psalm 18:24)

4.12.2020