By Katie Brown
Our nation is currently facing a crisis unlike any of us has ever experienced. If you had asked me prior to this what some of the hardships I expected to face in my life were, a global pandemic would not have been anywhere on my mind. Money troubles? Check. War? Seems possible. But this—a novel virus that has put our entire world on pause? It never would have crossed my mind.
The inability to see friends and family, leave home for a day of fun, and especially attend Mass have all been extremely difficult crosses to bear. It is a time of great uncertainty, and I, like most of us, have been praying for a quick end to this unexpected suffering.
But, as I often need to remind myself, suffering is not a bad thing. And neither is patience.
I sat in an empty church for adoration yesterday. What normally would be a luxury for me only made me sad. I longed more than anything to see that church packed with people. But it was empty, save for me and the other person signed up for the holy hour.
As I sat in the presence of our Lord, my mind couldn’t help but wander to our Lord’s agony in the garden. After all, it is still Lent, and the Sorrowful Mysteries are my favorite to meditate on.
I thought about how afraid Jesus was of His impending death and about how, as He began to pray in the garden, He asked His friends to simply wait with Him.
I couldn’t help but compare this to our current situation amid the COVID-19 crisis. We’re all afraid, asking God to save us from this disruption to our normal lives, and no doubt He hears us. But it is Lent, and I truly felt in that church last night that Jesus is calling all of us to simply wait with Him in the garden, to be patient, and to trust in Him.
Life will not be like this forever; this will end. But in the meantime, can’t we spare a few moments to spend with our Lord? As He commanded His disciples that night, “Remain here and keep watch with Me.”
Our Lord is calling us to be patient and to wait with Him. Trust me, I know this is easier said than done. With all the fear circulating on the news and Internet, it seems an impossible task. But let us pray for the grace to be patient and use this time to wait with our Lord in the garden.