Faith & Sacrifice

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Right now, the world feels impossible. We are being asked to stay healthy at home, to not see people in order to keep them safe. We are being called upon to sacrifice for the greater good of the most vulnerable among us. However, as Catholics, the idea of sacrifice should be far from a foreign concept. Lent itself is a time of sacrifice. In fact, our faith cannot be separated from the idea because of our understanding of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ for all people.

On Friday, March 27, 2020 Pope Francis, in a historic moment, delivered a very special blessing that is usually reserved for Christmas and Easter, “Urbi et orbi” or for “The City and the World”. A blessing usually done from the window of the Vatican and with the Pope’s hand. Instead, Pope Francis delivered it through the Eucharist housed in the Monstrance, the True Presence of Christ, to bless us.

During his meditation of the Gospel reading from Mark on the moment of the storm and Jesus asleep in the boat, Pope Francis reflected on the time that is now upon us.
“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Lord, you are calling to us, calling us to faith...You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others. 
Pope Francis, Urbi et Orbi Meditation, 27 March 2020

We are truly in this time of choosing. We can choose to have faith that our sacrifices are being made so that our doctors and nurses, our firefighters and EMTs, our law enforcement officers, our essential workers can do their work and give the most people possible a fighting chance to tackle this virus.

We are not alone. No matter how much it may seem like it right now. I know how many of us are tired of the sacrifices we are making. We’re tired of social distancing and filled with the deep desire for everything to just return to normal. However, as we draw closer to Holy Week, let us be guided by our faith in Christ and the examples we have laid before us in Scripture. Let us give our hearts over to Christ and His Blessed Mother, lay down our fears and worries, our frustrations and our anger, our sadness and our despair. Let us be like the disciples and call out to Christ in our moments of need and trust in our great and merciful God, the very one who taught us the meaning of faith and sacrifice.


Link to recording of Urbi et Orbi video w/translator:
https://youtu.be/JcUqLrbi9Cg

Link to full text of Pope Francis’ Meditation:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/urbi-et-orbi-pope-coronavirus-prayer-blessing.html 

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