Weekly Reflection from Father Kevin

Have you considered how truly blessed your life is lately?  How has this time made you reflect upon the level of comfort you have in your life?
Most of us haven’t had to give up a great deal during this time, because we have such wealth in our country.  There is a great deal of fear about what is to come, but the majority of us haven’t really been feeling the pain of these strange circumstances.  For those who have, our prayers go out to them in this difficult time.

So what are the rest of us, who are doing fine, supposed to do?  I suggest that we remind ourselves of the many blessings we have that allow us to have what we need during this time.  Many of us have jobs that are important, which not only allows us to keep earning income, but also reminds us that our work has meaning in the world.  For those of us who are able to work remotely, the blessings of the many developments of technology and communication help us keep going and contributing.  For those of us who can get by for a period of time without working, or those who are able to enjoy retirement, the blessings that allow us to be so secure should not go without thanksgiving.
There are many in our world who are struggling with lack of work, and long for the opportunity to earn a living.  Many of our brothers and sisters around the world won’t have the same ease as we have to deal with changes in their lives.  Many of them live day to day, not knowing where the next meal will come from.  When this disease takes hold in those areas, they will not have the same security many of us enjoy.  Let us always keep them in our prayers, while giving thanks to God for the good fortune we have. 

There is a great deal of talk about getting our economy back to normal, and this is a subject which needs our attention.  Our economic prosperity (compared to most in history, and much of the world today) has enabled us to develop infrastructure, medicine and technology that allow us to weather a storm like this much better..  It does need to return, so that we may be prepared for another time of trial in the future.  We must also remember the good that our prosperity does for those less fortunate than ourselves.  The developments that economic prosperity have provided have also benefited the less fortunate around the world, due to our humanitarian aid through government and charitable organizations.  May God bless our efforts once more, lest we lose our ability to be generous.

We can all run into problems taking our blessings for granted, which is difficult to admit to ourselves.  Let us not, at this strange moment, miss the opportunity to see this truth.  Our blessings have enabled many of us to make a real difference in the lives of those around us, and all around the world.  May we realize more deeply now than ever what these blessings represent, and what these blessings are meant for.

In all of this, may our thoughts and prayers be for those whose needs are greater than our own.  For all those who will have trouble seeing the light of Easter from the darkness that surrounds them, let us pray.  And for ourselves, may the breaking of Easter morning shine a light into our lives, to see the truth God wishes us to see.