"In death, without realizing it, we will fall into the arms of God the Father and Mother of infinite goodness and mercy.”
The coronavirus pandemic forces us all to think: what really matters, life or material goods? The individualism of each one for himself with his back turned to the other, or solidarity with one another? Can we continue to exploit without any consideration natural resources and services? Only caring about living better and better? Or can we take care of nature, the vitality of Mother Earth and living well, which is the harmony between all beings of nature ? Has it served any purpose for war-loving countries to accumulate more and more weapons of mass destruction? Now these countries have fallen to their knees in the face of an invisible virus evidencing how ineffective their death apparatus is?
Can we continue our consumeristic life style, unlimited accumulated wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of millions of poor and miserable people? Does it still make sense for each country to assert its sovereignty, opposing that of the other, when we should have global governance to solve a global problem? Why have we not yet discovered our only Common House, Mother Earth, and our duty to care for her so that we can all fit into it, including nature?
It is also convenient to do our examination of conscience individually, below are some suggested reflections:
Since quarantine is a forced retreat, do as the Religious men and women who must do a retreat every year. Here are some suggestions for the spiritual dimension of life:
1. Take time for yourself and review your life.
2. How has my life been so far?
3. Which side am I on? For those who are well in life, or for those who have some need, those who need a word of comfort, the poor and suffering?
4. What is my fundamental choice? Be happy no matter the means? Accumulate material goods? Obtain social status? Or be good, understanding, and willing to help and support those who are in a worse situation?
5. Can I tolerate others’ limitations, the bored, control myself not to respond to the nonsense I hear? Can I let it go?
6. Can I really forgive, turn the page and not be held hostage by resentments and bad judgments?
7. Can I find the right words when I have to tell truths and draw attention to errors or mistakes of others that are related to me? Or do I go directly and aggressively humiliating the person?
8. When I get up in the morning, do I say a prayer with my thoughts, it not need to be with words, asking God to protect me, my family and those with whom I live and work? And at night, before going to sleep, do I raise my mind to God, even without words, to give thanks the day, for everything that has happened and for being alive?
9. What place does God occupy in your life? Do you want to try a few minutes of pure meditation, where only you and God are present, forgetting the world a little? Just raising your mind and being silent before Him.
10. Do you have the courage to foster an attitude of total dedication to God, knowing that you are always in the palm of His hand? Everything that happens comes from His love. Death is like a birth and no one has ever seen their own birth. In death, without realizing it, we will fall into the arms of God the Father and Mother of infinite goodness and mercy.
Never forget the comforting words of the First Letter of Saint John (3:20): "If your heart accuses you, you must know that God is greater than your heart." So depart in peace under the cloak of infinite divine mercy.
Translated by Ylaisa Tejada