In today’s Gospel reading, the Pharisees determine that they will kill Jesus. Jesus no longer traveled with big crowds surrounding him. He no longer visited the big cities to preach. Reading only today’s Gospel makes it seem as though Jesus secluded himself and hid in fear of being captured and killed. If we continue reading in John’s Gospel and the others, we know that Jesus does not stop sharing the word with His people. He just has to be careful and creative.
The same concept applies to where we stand now, amid all the fear and possibility of disease. Yes, we must limit our contact with others. Yes, we must no longer visit with our friends and family. Still, that does not mean that we seclude our faith. It does not mean we stop living by the Word of God. It does not mean we stop living as Christians. We just have to be more careful and creative.
Maybe you know how to be careful but aren’t sure how to be creative with your faith. Below are some ideas of how you can continue living (and growing in) your faith:
- Tune In For Daily & Sunday Mass Online
- You can watch with Pope Francis (view), Our Lady of Mercy in Aurora, IL (view), or check your local parishes’ websites to see when they are celebrating their Masses online.
- Pray Together, Online
- Pray a Rosary, Novena, or the Divine Office with your friends over the phone or in a video call. The Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist (view) record daily Mass, the Divine Office, and the Rosary.
- Pray At Home
- Set up your own prayer altar at home. Not sure where or how to start? This link and this link, as well as YouTube (view playlist), have many Catholic ideas and tutorials to DIY your own sacred space not only for you, but for your family or roommates as well.
- Read or Listen to a Book
- While you probably have a bible in your house, you also have many online resources to read daily reflections, eBooks (view), and other free, community resources without having to have anything physically delivered to your house. Also, I know that I am having to re-learn the patience to read. Traditional Catholic (view) offers a list of books to read via PDF, Kindle, ePub, online, or even the audiobook version.
- Stop. Look. Listen. Appreciate.
- As easy as it may be, take the time to count your blessings and enjoy the simple yet beautiful wonders that God has given you. The breeze, the sunlight, the plants that continue to grow, the beauty in a sunrise or sunset. Take this time to see your world with child-like wonder.
- Faith with Family
- With schools closing, a lot of parents find themselves spending more time with the children (view) and young adults (view) than they’ve ever had to do before. Other than telling your children to clean the house, now is the time to learn more about them and guide them in their walk with Christ.
Need more ideas or want to prepare for Palm Sunday and Holy Week? Click here for a folder of resources and ideas that my friend Lexxus and the Diocese of Austin, TX, shared and here for some ideas from the Catholic All Year blog.
Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.