O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge. Psalm 7:2-3

The first time nurses geared me up to offer the sacrament of the sick to a COVID-19 patient, I thought about the possibility of being infected. Although this thought was momentary, it was real, human and scary. It was a defining moment that required trusting like the lamb and joining, as God’s agent, the front liners in the battle against the virus.  

This experience is nothing compared with the perennial conflict the followers of Christ must deal with: knowing the difficulty of the task at hand and the reality of success, which is based on faith. In today’s Gospel, the crowds are divided on the question of Jesus’ authority. Imagine what was going on in the minds of his disciples. They believed Jesus, but they had no guarantee that they would change the world. They probably considered jumping ship several times. 

Some of us who began the Lenten journey with great hopes of spiritual fruitfulness are getting choked by competing interests. May we find refuge in God, who shields our heart from doubts and all that attacks our faith in God’s providence. 

PS. Prayers for Kike StellaMary and Family.