Alone with the Scriptures that were presented to us from the Book of Numbers I could almost experience the anger and frustration that God’s chosen people directed towards God, Moses blaming them for the hardship they were experiencing as they journeyed from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. In contrast I thought of our world today and the effects of the coronavirus on the lives of millions of people across the globe. I have not been hearing anger at God. Frustration yes with the loss of jobs, fear about the future but not blame, finding fault with God.
On the contrary I have been reading and seeing so many examples of people risking their lives that the lives of others might be saved. In Italy alone 31 doctors have died caring for those ill with the coronavirus. Across the globe hundreds if not thousands of medical personnel are risking their lives to help others. Thousands of medical professionals have responded to requests to come out of retirement and help with the present day crisis.
Is it too much of a stretch to believe that this motivation to reach out and help a brother and sister in need comes from a belief that the psalmist expressed today when he said: “Let this be written for generations to come and let his future creatures praise the Lord. The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven, he beheld the earth, heard the groaning of his people”.
To respond to the anger and frustration of the Israelites Moses mounted a bronze snake on a pole to offer them consolation. And we, what were we given when God heard our groaning? The body of Christ on a cross. The Jesus who in the gospel this past Sunday heard his friend Lazarus died and Jesus wept. Jesus weeps for all today who groan as their find themselves alone, keeping a distance from loved ones and unable to be present with loved one while they are dying.
Reading articles about the consequences of this pandemic in Italy, I have seen many images of the sick and dying in homes and hospital corridors .What caught my eye besides the nurses and doctors in attendance were the wall photos and paintings of saints, Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus looking down upon the sick and dying, a confirmation of the psalm we heard today which spoke to us of how God continues to look down from the heavens to behold the earth, to behold his people who are groaning.
In prayer alone or with family present, let us continue to lift up those we neither see nor touch yet believe that God is looking down upon them from his holy height.
Father Leo's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
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