ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE

WHERE IS GOD IN ALL OF THIS?

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That was my first reaction to all of this. 

 

“Lord, what are you doing?”

 

But, since I have had time to reflect and think about all of this, I now feel closer to God than I have ever felt in my life. I know that He hears my desperate cries at night. I know that He feels the loneliness that I feel in my heart and soul. I know that He loves me and is with me every step of the way. He is asking me to trust in Him and to place everything in His hands. And I am trying desperately to say okay.

 

I feel His presence.  I have been reading a lot of scripture in the last 2 weeks and I am amazed how many of the Bible readings address what we are going through.

 

Yesterday, I sat in front of Mary’s grotto and read the Acts of the Apostles:

“When they had gathered together they asked him, ‘Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He answered them, It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth.” (ACTS 1:6-8)

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I believe God hears us. He hears our cries. He is telling us to love each other and reach out to each other. He is telling us to be patient and trust in Him and in HIS time, and only in HIS time, will this end.

 

And last Saturday’s first reading:

“Come let us return to the Lord, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;

He has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.  He will revive us after two days;

And on the third say he will raise us up to live in His presence.

Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord;  as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgement Shines forth like the light of day!

He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.”

(HOS 6:1-6)

 

He will come again. He will still rise on Easter Sunday. We will live again.

 

We must reach out to others through this.  Phone calls. Notes in the mail. Emails and text messages. Just let someone know that you care, that you are thinking of them. Don’t be afraid to say “I love you.” We will be able to hug again. And hopefully, we will have good memories of this time.  Memories of when we did have time to read books and to take a walk and to reach out to someone with a phone call.  And family dinners and no sports to conflict with anything else. Remember those who are alone. Read the bible. Listen to God when He tries to tell us something.  

 

The day will come when we will see each other again in the pews of St. Andrew Church. Where we will hear our choir and see our priests and deacon on the altar. And hear the Word of God announced by our lectors. And be able to hold our hands out to the Lord and receive His body as the minister says, “The body of Christ.”

 

And at that time, once again, we will be able to shout, “AMEN!”

 

Judy Hoffman,

St. Andrew Parishioner