Real Life Disciples: You are not alone!

On May 23 and 24, many Catholics experienced a return to the Eucharist after more than eight weeks of COVID-19 quarantine. It was a glorious day. They say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” which for me was spot on.
 
The first time I was able to receive the Eucharist again was one of my biggest high points of the past several months. Then, beginning on May 25, many parishes resumed limited ministry activities. Is it possible we are beginning to get back to some semblance of normal? Only time will tell.
 
One of my concerns, though, is what is the true state of things across our archdiocese? Spiritually? Emotionally? Articles and studies seem to be pointing to some dismal statistics nationally. Some cities have seen as much as a 350 percent increase in calls to substance abuse call centers, and an 800 percent increase in calls to suicide hotlines. Many cities are reporting significantly increased rates of domestic violence calls, child abuse reports and other family disputes. And, we all are aware of the many people who are losing jobs due to the financial impact of the shut-down.
 
I’m not sure if these reports reflect our local situation. I actually have been trying for weeks to get through to local hotlines and centers for assistance to ask that question and can’t get anyone to respond to me. Perhaps that’s an indication of an overwhelmed system. Without further vetting, we can’t be sure, but for now I think it’s safe to assume that we’re experiencing at least some of this reality here in Oklahoma.
 
This is what the Catholic Church is good at, and something Oklahomans are uniquely poised for as well. Responding in times of great need is at the heart of our faith, and it is at the core of what it means to be a disciple. When Jesus says, “Come follow me,” he is meaning to be like him, do the kinds of things he did, allow ourselves to be drawn to the kind of people he was.
 
When we read through the Gospels nothing is more clear than the fact that Jesus was uniquely drawn to the weak, the lowly, the sick and the downtrodden. He actually avoided the wealthy and the powerful and was somewhat aloof to those who didn’t have any needs.
 
Pope Francis once said, “Having faith does not mean having no difficulties, but having the strength to face them, knowing we are not alone.” When you study discipleship throughout the history of the Church, one of the characteristics that emerges is that of community. Strong disciples, and even those who have been named saints in our faith, seldom come as isolated individuals. They tend to come in bunches – bands of brothers and sisters, serving together, supporting one another, holding each other up in the face of difficulty and trial.
 
My prayer over the past several weeks has been for an increase in the spirit of empathy and concern among all of the Catholics in our archdiocese. We have just celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. May the Holy Spirit stir up these graces in our hearts, in all our parishes and schools, that we would be drawn to each other’s needs. As Pope Benedict XVI once said, “We need to draw from the infinite love of God, through an intense relationship with him in prayer, the strength to live day-by-day with concrete concern, like that of the Good Samaritan, for those suffering in body and spirit who ask for our help, whether or not we know them and however poor they may be.”
 
Here are some simple principles that could lead us through this difficult time:
 

• Be aware of yourself – take your “temperature,” your emotional temperature that is. Be aware of how you are doing, be aware of your emotions and your physical limits, and when you are being stretched beyond those and need a break.

 

• Stay rooted in your faith – remember that our faith was made for this kind of stuff. There is no hardship or difficulty we can experience that is too much for God. You can be confident that he will never leave you or abandon you in your time of need; you can have no fear because we know that He is with us! (Isaiah 41:10). God is the source of all consolation, and when we allow him to comfort us in times of need, we find the grace and power to be a source of consolation to others, as St. Paul says, “The Father of mercies and God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction, with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Cor 1:3-4).

 

• Don’t hesitate to reach out for help – in times of difficulty it is common to isolate and pull away from friends and loved ones. That’s exactly the opposite of what we should do! Other people in your life can’t read your mind or know what is going on in your life and your heart. They will never know unless you tell them. If you are struggling, in any way, please – reach out to someone in your life and ask them if they will walk with you through this difficult time!

 

• And finally, help others – I have found over and over again in my life during times of great struggle and hardship, my problems seemed to fade when I got out of myself and went out to help someone else. It’s counterintuitive, but it works. There’s just something about stretching out of my own downtrodden state to help another person that puts me in solidarity with them and helps me realize that I’m not the only one with troubles.

 
You are not alone! Even though we are still “social distancing” in response to this pandemic, let’s not relationally distance ourselves from each other. Check in on your family and friends, your neighbors, your fellow parishioners and your kid’s classmate’s parents. Ask them how they are doing. Then, ask them again, “No, how are you really doing?” And, take the time to really listen. This is a time like no other where we need to be there for each other.
 
We have developed a new page on the archdiocesan website that lists all kinds of resources for those who find themselves in need. You can check it out here: archokc.org/notalone.