To all our Readers, especially in countries most afflicted by this pandemic, such as Italy, and in those countries wherein we have many loyal Readers like the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and China, I’m praying for you. To my fellow Filipino Catholics and to the doctors and healthcare workers in Metro Manila and the whole of the Philippines, you are in my prayers. We are one in the Catholic Faith, regardless of our nationality, race and color. God bless, and the Blessed Mother protect you.
I offer this Post as my humble contribution, that it may serve as a source of strength to the faithful.
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The coronavirus pandemic is zipping across the globe. In a massive effort to stop its further spread, countries are imposing an unprecedented lockdown, covering local regions and even a whole nation. Establishments are closed. Public gatherings are banned. Movement of people is severely restricted. In this age, citizens have never before seen various governments simultaneously enforce such strict measures.
On a personal note
I had a flight to the United States scheduled for last week. Personally, I felt awfully upset with its bad timing. But I thought I wouldn’t feel any comfortable with my immediate family being away, in a suburb in Manila. So for a few days now, I have been among over 57 million Filipinos who are in Luzon, where the capital of Manila is situated, under lockdown, or what the government refers to as “enhanced community quarantine.” The impact of this pandemic is indeed felt everywhere.
Historic Firsts
For us Catholics though, there is another unexpected turn of events resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic—the suspension of publicly celebrated Holy Mass in various parts of the world. Millions of affected Catholics, myself included, would have no access, for weeks, to the physical reception of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, as well as other Sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of Penance. For the first time, at least in our modern history, our observance of the Lenten period up until the Paschal Triduum would happen without any public participation in the parishes.
And in span of just a few days, Catholics have witnessed historic happenings—For the first time in centuries, the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household has announced this week that the Liturgical Celebrations of Holy Week at the Vatican, led by the Pontiff, “will take place without the physical presence of the faithful.” For the first time as well since it opened, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France has temporarily closed its Basilica to the public, in addition to the prior closing of the miraculous pools. Such drastic steps by the Church show that Catholics, like the rest of the world, are already seeing, feeling and living the far-reaching consequences of this global coronavirus problem.
Bishops in Metro Manila, in my home country, the Philippines, have also announced this week that there will be no Holy Week activities throughout the National Capital Region. These “Holy Week activities” are particularly special in my heart. I grew up with my family joining the activities for Holy Week in parishes. Most devout Filipino Catholics, and even those who are ‘not so’ devout, but still somehow religious, would surely be very, very sad and disappointed, because participating in these activities have already been part of our yearly Filipino Catholic tradition, an expression of faith for Filipinos, throughout generations for Holy Week. That is why, as a young adult, I continued joining these Holy Week observances in my beloved parish, Saint Paul the Apostle Parish in Quezon City.
An ‘emptiness’
For some people, the effects of the pandemic may not be devastating, if all they need to do is to remain in their houses during lockdown. But for some Catholic families, the suffering is great, having lost members to COVID-19. Some Catholics are gravely ill with the virus, battling it in isolation at the hospitals. There are Catholic families facing economic difficulties with their means of living affected by the closures. In the midst of the liturgical season of Lent, those who suffer during these very uncertain and trying times perhaps feel as if they are walking along to their own Calvary.
Earlier this week, we have seen a very unusual sight; Pope Francis is giving his blessing to an eerily empty St. Peter’s Square, and walks around the empty streets of Rome. In our own communities, parishes are likewise empty of parishioners. If you are among those Catholics in areas where Holy Masses are cancelled, does the ‘emptiness’ resonate with you? If yes, I think it is not so much about the absence of people in holy places. Rather, for the devout and true faithful, the real notion of feeling ‘empty’ comes from missing the grace to physically receive Our Lord in the Eucharist. For nothing, not even the comfort of staying inside our homes these days, comes close to the fulfillment of our deepest desire of uniting with God that our souls feel in the liturgy.
My Reflection
While I was reflecting on what’s happening now in many parishes around the world, I immediately recalled the Third of the Seven Sorrows of Mary—the Loss of Jesus in the Temple. (Click here for my detailed analysis on this.) Meditating on this sorrow, we find Mary full of anguish because as Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori says, “Having lost Her Son for three days, She is deprived of His most sweet presence.” Now, I’m sharing with you my thoughts on this.
Photo credit: Pope Francis is giving his blessing to an eerily empty St. Peter’s Square | Vatican Media via Reuters
What the Third Sorrow of Mary means to us during the Suspension of Sacraments in this COVID-19 pandemic:
1. The faithful might go through desolation or “the dark night of the soul”
In The Glories of Mary, Discourse IX Of the Dolours of Mary, Saint Alphonsus Liguori reflects about of the Third Sorrow of Mary, which is the Loss of Jesus in the Temple. The Doctor of the Church says,
“This third sorrow of Mary ought to serve… as a consolation to souls who are desolate, and who no longer enjoy, as they once enjoyed, the sweet presence of the Lord.”
Saint Alphonsus is not talking here about souls who are in a state of mortal sin. Instead, he is referring to souls who love God, but are “desolate.” In other words, they are those who are going through the “dark night of the soul,” a term coined two centuries earlier by Saint John of the Cross, or also known as Saint John of Avila. In layman’s term, the “dark night” means that these souls feel as if God has withdrawn from them His presence and consolations. They are not “unbelievers.” Instead, they are truly devoted to God and their Catholic Faith. Despite this, however, these people feel that God has already left them alone by themselves.
I realized that in a time of a global coronavirus pandemic, people could very easily become desolate. As many Catholics feel uncertain, and are affected one way or another, by sickness, a lack of livelihood, or the loss of family members, I further realized that we faithful would find true consolation only in God. We experience this consolation when conversing with God in prayer. More especially, we get consoled in receiving Holy Communion and other Sacraments.
But amidst the suspension of Holy Masses, it may feel as if we are being ‘deprived’ from having the Most Holy presence of Jesus inside us. We are without the consolations that God gives us through the Sacraments of His Church. Catholics cannot enjoy the sweetest presence of the Lord. How many Catholics, for example, who are critically ill with COVID-19 may not be given the Anointing of the Sick, even if they wanted to, given the current scenario?
Without the Sacraments, many Catholics might then feel the sorrow that Mary felt from losing Jesus at the temple, go through desolation and a dark night of the soul, and ask God, ‘Have You forsaken and abandoned us?’ This sentiment echoes Mary as she asks Jesus, finding Him in the temple,
“Son, why have you done this to us?”
– Luke 2:48
2. The Blessed Mother is the consolation of the faithful
As we face the coming weeks without the physical union with Christ in the Eucharist and without Confession, to those of us who regularly receive it, we can look to the Blessed Mother for strength. She offers us consolation, having once endured the sorrow of having Her Son being ‘out of reach.’ More than anybody else, it is her who most profoundly understands how it feels when the physical presence of Jesus is ‘missing.’
Saint Alphonsus, reflecting on the Third Sorrow of Mary and the words of God to Saint Teresa of Avila, tells those who find themselves in this situation to remain strong and confident in Our Lord:
“They may weep, but they should weep in peace, as Mary wept the absence of her Son; and let them take courage, and not fear that on this account they have lost the Divine favour; for God Himself assured Saint Teresa, that ‘no one is lost without knowing it; and that no one is deceived without wishing to be deceived.’ If our Lord withdraws Himself from the sight of a soul which loves Him, He does not, therefore, depart from the heart; He often conceals Himself from a soul, that she may seek Him with a more ardent desire and greater love.”
It is very likely that those who are cold in their practice of the Catholic Faith won’t feel affected and be bothered with the absence of Mass and Confession; until April 13, for those who are here in the Philippines, which is already after Easter Sunday. But to be honest, I find it somehow depressing, especially because the Sacraments provide spiritual nourishment to those who need consolations the most, due to prior sufferings, sicknesses and now, afflictions caused by COVID-19. We are not even sure yet if this global problem would persist after Easter.
However, let the words of Saint Alphonsus comfort us that we may weep, but weep in peace, because Mary, the Sorrowful Mother who wept in the absence of Her Son, is a true consolation to her children. And even if it feels like we have lost the favor of God and His presence during these times of trials and tribulations, know that Our Lord is not away. He remains in our hearts; For His Sacred Heart is never away from us. As the good Saint explains, God often conceals Himself to us so that during this ‘absence,’ our love and desire for Him may be greater.
3. The faithful finds God amidst crosses and mortifications
Saint Alphonsus continues his meditation on the Third Sorrow of Mary, saying,
“But whoever wishes to find Jesus, must seek Him, not amidst delights and the pleasures of the world, but amidst crosses and mortifications, as Mary sought Him: ‘we sought Thee sorrowing,’ as Mary said to her Son. ‘I learn, then, from Mary,’ says Origen, ‘to seek Jesus.’”
Confined in our places, let us make the most of it as a chance to have a closer relationship with God, despite the absence of Mass and Sacraments, and being physically ‘away’ from the Church. Whether you are like me in a mandatory lockdown, or you are doing a voluntary self-quarantine, now is the time to reflect on your life; on how you have been as Catholic, which the Confiteor sums up—“in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.” Sincerely ask yourself, “Have I found God in my life?”
There is no better example in seeking and finding Jesus than Mary. She found Her Son Jesus amidst her sorrows, not in pleasures. Like her, we find God in our sufferings, and not in the worldly things that we enjoy.
I tried to figure why Saint Alphonsus says that we find Jesus in our sufferings and not in pleasures. And here is what I think—In pleasures, we focus on satisfying our own will. But in sufferings, we learn to acknowledge our human frailty, and realize that it is not us who “run the show;” but it is God who does so. But in our sufferings, such as enduring a pandemic or a disease like COVID-19, we realize that we can’t rely on ourselves. Instead, we remember that we are the children of God that must have the humility of Mary, who sought God in order to understand the mysteries of His will, as she said:
“Son, why have you done this to us?”
– Luke 2:48
God then shall reveal Himself to us—His will and who He really is. First, He is the God who puts a redemptive meaning on all the human sufferings (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1502,1505). He is the God who makes use of our sufferings so that we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Like Saint Paul the Apostle says, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Second, He is the God who strengthens our faith during our sufferings. As the Lord says, “See, I refined you, but not like silver; I tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). Finally, He is the God who displays His works in our afflictions to show us His glory. Before Jesus cured a man blind from birth, He said of him, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” Whatever He does in our lives glorifies Him; whatever glorifies Him is for our good—even if this path of the cross is oftentimes not good. In our sufferings, we get to know Him better. We discover who we really are as His good children, and become closer to our Father. And that’s when we could say to ourselves that we did find Him.
As the world scrambles to control this pandemic, and the parishes do their part by cancelling communal celebrations, Catholics who cannot attend Mass for now may be in danger of ‘forgetting’ God and ‘distancing’ from Him.
It is sad to see on social media how some people, even Catholics, talk about searching for ways to ‘entertain’ themselves, pass the time, and ease the boredom during this prolonged period of lockdown and self-quarantine. What they don’t realize is that they are truly missing out, for this period is actually a perfect time to seek Our Lord all the more. And Mary shows us how—by looking for Jesus amidst our sorrows, sufferings and pains.
Many people, including Catholics, are right now wasting the days of Lent away by watching movies and series, such as those in streaming services. And the thing is, more often than not, these movies and series show sensuality, nudity, homosexual relationships or characters cursing in between the Name of Jesus Christ, with scenes implying mockery of the Catholic Church and her teachings, and depicting Catholics as sexually repressed, weirdos and creeps. They just easily dismiss these things, saying that they simply ‘ignore’ those scenes, and continue watching the whole thing. But ignoring those unholy ideas incorporated in these programs is the same as supporting the whole thing; the whole production, which is not of God. They expect God to ‘spare’ them from COVID-19, but watching those unholy things never bothers their conscience!
So I urge you, rather than spend your time away from the outside world watching movies and series that are displeasing in the eyes of God, especially this is the Season of Lent, let us offer more sacrifices and penance by devoting ourselves to what many would consider as “boring”—more time of prayer, devotions such as the Rosary, personal reflection and reading the Scripture and the lives of the Saints. Let us seek God within ourselves, spending a small silent retreat in our very own homes.
4. The faithful should be sorrowful of their sins
As we reflect and see the blockages in our path to holiness and to being good Catholics, let us do what Lent asks us to do—acknowledge our own sinfulness. We should scrutinize ourselves, both externally and internally, and accept that we are ‘not as good’ as we think we are; that we are sinful. Lent is about repentance, and acknowledging our own sinfulness is its foundation.
True repentance means feeling remorse for the sins we have committed against God and other people; for our actions that caused others troubles and pains, and most of all, offended and hurt God. (Click here for my detailed analysis on what Lent really asks us to do.) In other words, we should feel sorrowful of our sins. Let us say to ourselves like in Confiteor, with much sorrow, “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.”
We also know that unconfessed grave and mortal sins, and even venial ones, put a spiritual restriction to the faithful from receiving the Most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus during Holy Mass. Thus, to us Catholics, not receiving Holy Communion per se is not exactly a ‘new’ practice that was introduced only for the sake of halting this pandemic. We actually observe the non-reception of the Eucharist when we have yet to receive absolution for our sins from the priest through the Sacrament of Penance.
“If Mary wept the absence of her Son for three days, how should sinners weep, who have lost divine grace, and to whom God says: “You are not my people, and I will not be yours.” For this is the effect of sin; it separates the soul from God: “Your iniquities have divided between you and your God. (Isaiah 59:2)”
If we feel sorrow about the absence of Holy Mass and the Sacraments for a month, think of how sorrowful it is for those who have not gone to Mass for a while. There are some Catholics, however, who have been receiving Communion in sacrilege; for they have not been to Confession for a long time, but are receiving the Eucharist. It is sacrilegious to receive Holy Communion while in state of mortal sin, such as those in homosexual relationships and those cohabiting before marriage. Those people think they could “get away” with their sins, and ‘fool’ the priest for giving them Communion. But they would not be able to escape God’s judgment. They think they have been getting away with their mortal sins because their bodies don’t suffer. But the truth is, their souls are feeling the sorrow of being separated from God.
We should ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, to pray for us, who are sinners, and to help us obtain perfect contrition for our sins.
5. The suspension of Masses and the Sacraments is a glimpse of the eternal loss of Heaven
I tried to contemplate what the suspension of Masses and the Sacraments mean to me and to all Catholics devoted to the Faith. And I realized that this is a partial glimpse of the eternal loss of Heaven, wherein the souls know that God is everywhere, even in Hell. Yet, they do not feel His presence; it feels that He is too far. That is why we should never ever forget how it feels to have temporarily ‘lost’ the presence of the Lord in Holy Mass and the Sacraments in the time of coronavirus.
Of course, we are praying for an end to this virus. And if or when God finally puts an end to this, the Holy Mass and the Sacraments will all be back as usual, available as usual for the faithful. Life will be back to normal. And as some say, it will also be business as usual.
If and when it happens, it means then that the temptations of the material and secular world will get nearer to us again. In times that we feel like giving in to temptations, and giving up on the Catholic Faith, let this temporary absence of the Mass and Sacraments be our reminder on how it would be for the souls that go to Hell—the permanent loss of the presence of God and the eternal life; the eternal death.
Saint Alphonsus intently reflects on this in the Third Sorrow of Mary, saying,
“Hence, if sinners possess all the riches of the earth, but have lost God, all, even in this world, becomes vanity and affliction to them, as Solomon confessed: ‘Behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.’”
There are people, especially the atheists, and even Catholics but are “non-practicing,” who are anxious of COVID-19 because they ‘love’ their lives… and the world, albeit too much. What they don’t want to lose are the material things, possessions and goods that they own in this world. In the midst of this pandemic, life continues just the same for unholy people, unmoved by the temporary cessation of public Church Sacraments. What really bothers them about the virus is that it separates them from their usual secular routines and pleasures.
But, as St. Augustine warns,
“The greatest misfortune of these poor blind souls is… that ‘if they lose an ox, they do not fail to go in search of it; if they lose a sheep, they use all diligence to find it; if they lose a beast of burden, they cannot rest; but when they lose their God, who is the supreme good, they eat, drink, and repose.’”
While devout Catholics might be afraid to die because of the fear of facing God in our particular judgment, whether we would go to Heaven or Hell, or at least, ‘qualify’ for Purgatory, these people are afraid to die because they never want to part with their belongings on earth. That’s why they would never want to be afflicted with SARS-CoV-2. But as Saint Alphonsus cautions, what they do not know is that their riches on earth become their affliction.
Let us be like Mary whose sorrow was losing Her Son, and not the attachments to material things that would all be gone one day, at the end of the world.
6. The faithful should search for God “with great anxiety”
As their hearts are troubled with the loss of Jesus, Mary and Joseph looked for Jesus, with great anxiety:
“Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
– Luke 2:48
I say that we should all look for Jesus “with great anxiety” during the COVID-19 pandemic. But not like the godless or the non-devout who anxiously worries about his future because of his secular dreams and material ownership. We should instead look for Jesus by waiting with great anxiety for the Holy Mass and the Sacraments to come back, as a manifestation of our sincere and great desire to unite with God, more than anything in this world.
And in doing so, we shall find, as Mary and Joseph did, Our Lord and His most sweet presence in our lives and in our hearts, despite the current absence of physical access to the Church that dispenses to us the Sacraments.
Conclusion
The Almighty God is ever present in our midst; He is in the Blessed Sacrament at the Church, as He is also within us in Spirit. In as much as we desire to unite with Him in the Eucharist through Holy Mass, these extraordinary times with the pandemic have prompted our Church leaders to take extraordinary action. Despite its temporary consequence on our reception of the Eucharist and our spiritual way of life, know that the Blessed Mother consoles, and accompanies us faithful as we go through this “loss” of Jesus, and as we “find” Him again in the Sacraments.
If this COVID-19 pandemic has brought you sufferings, and you feel like you are walking alone to your own Calvary, know that Jesus is with you in carrying your Cross, and that the Catholic Church is praying for you. The world still awaits the outcome of its efforts to fight coronavirus, and we’re really not sure how much longer it would take to contain it. But what we do know as Catholics is that the Calvary is not the end; for there is Resurrection for those who believe in Jesus.
Let us not waste this unprecedented opportunity to live out our Catholic virtues amid the escalating events that are happening in the world. If you are at home, in areas under lockdown, make your Lenten observance more meaningful by devoting much time to pray more. Pray for the sick and the dying; for all the nations in the world, especially those that are most afflicted; for the Holy Father, the clergy and the religious.
Painting credit: The Child Jesus Found in the Temple by Philippe de Champaigne
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Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
Email: [email protected]
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Thank you Mary for your input and reflections on the pandemic and what it really means to stay close to our Catholic faith during this time of isolation. I will be praying for you and for your website to continue to help non Christians and Christians brothers and sisters as I am Catholic myself and came back to the Catholic faith 2 years ago. During this pandemic, I found your page by looking for petitions and today Vocation Sunday, we are called to listen our Good Shepherd voice and I was called to read your reflections on this. God bless you and your family, Mary. May Our Blessed Mother Mary and your saint continue to reach souls to heaven and to the Catholic faith.