Even a month ago, none of us would have ever imagined that the so-called mighty humanity across the globe would get itself infected with this threatening and terrifying obsession of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). All have woken up, and that too, all of a sudden. Even those that does include me, who earlier pooh-poohed this apprehension cum anxiety, stand now much challenged.
Consequently, we are called upon, in a demanding way, to accept our utter frailty and acknowledge our sheer minimality. We have to confess our limitedness and littleness. Down the decades, we have begun to applaud ourselves that we have all the solutions for all the problems. Now, we know we are indeed small, both individually and collectively..!
Somehow sub-consciously, we have begun assessing ourselves ‘big’ with all our academic and analytical advancements, scientific and technological promotions.
Suddenly, we find ourselves knocked out..!
This Lenten Season of 2020 will be remembered, for years to come, for its peculiar uniqueness: getting its obligatory Eucharists and Sacraments cancelled; getting its Lenten schedules and services dismissed; getting all engagements and appointments postponed. Vatican has already announced the negation of the Holy Week- ceremonies in public. So too, in many other Churches, communities and countries.
Who would have thought of this sort of scenario even on the Ash Wednesday when we stepped into this season? We all are caught. No escape now. In other words, the Good Friday has come to be ahead of time, this year.
As widely reported in the media, hundreds of millions worldwide are learning to adjust themselves to once-in-a-generation measures to battle this COVID pandemic that is not only killing the vulnerable but also threatening prolonged economic misery. Life is changing, as of now, in 164 nations while coping this crisis. This sickening and saddening situation is going to be the case for over six months, as per some conservative estimate.
The God of history will certainly have ‘something’ to convey through all this phenomenon. We have to listen to it carefully and learn it convincingly and also, live it courageously. What follows here below is just an attempt to decipher what could be his challenging message :
01. DEPENDENCE ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE :
