Hope in the Time of Corona

With this post, we conclude our blog theme Eucharist in the Time of Corona. With the help of many gifted Resource Persons, we explored a topic we’ve rarely had to face—until the pandemic: What does it mean to be a Eucharistic People when we have no access to the Eucharist? What does it mean to live in communion when we are prevented from being together physically? What does it mean that the Risen Christ is truly present to us, when we cannot participate in the sacramental celebration of His real presence? The reflections shared in the blog have been rooted in our conviction that the pandemic, despite the Eucharistic famine it forced on us, is also a grace for us to become more aware of Christ’s presence to us always, and how we can be that presence for others. We hope for our readers that the concept of Eucharist is now as much a verb as it is a noun, the action of giving thanks, an action that we express through lives offered in love.

Currently, we are experiencing a respite from the high numbers of infections brought on by the omicron variant. It is tempting to think that the crisis is over, and we will be able to “go back to normal”. Perhaps we will. However, over 2 years of experience has taught us that we cannot second guess this virus. We are also aware of the warnings that this won’t be the last such pandemic. This alone is difficult for anybody to deal with. Yet, there are many threats to a hopeful way of being piled on top of it—Putin’s violent aggression on Ukraine, the worsening climate crisis and those who resist its implications, the still-unfulfilled promise of the recent reckoning with racism in our country, the sometimes violent political divisions manifested globally, and the list goes on. With so many difficult tensions, we see signs all around us of deteriorating mental health. That is why our next blog series will focus on hope, the particular Christian virtue that is especially needed right now, for our own sake and for the sake of those around us—indeed, for the whole world. Hope is a quintessential Christian characteristic rooted in our conviction as we prepare for Easter that nothing, absolutely nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God and the fullness of life God offers to us. It is our vocation to be hopeful people, and that gift has rarely been needed more than it is today. Our next blog series will reflect on Hope in the Time of Corona.

We will continue to send the blog to you on Monday mornings each week. When you forward it to your friends, they can subscribe to it directly from your forward. It will also be posted on our Facebook page where you can leave comments. We invite you to reflect with us through our blog. We look forward to your response to the ideas we will offer here.

[As you know, summers here in San Antonio can be brutally hot. Yet, the delicate yellow bloom of the lovely flower known as the Esperanza stands against the heat, blooming defiantly all summer long, bringing a refreshing brightness in the midst of the withering sun. Its name means “hope” in Spanish. See the photo below.]

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