April 5 COVID-19 Faith Reflection
The Passion of our Lord
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday. My children always loved Palm Sunday. At the parish they grew up in, not only were they given fresh green palm leaves, but they got to wave them wildly about as our entire family, and everyone else in the pews, went outside in the sunshine and processed around the church grounds singing the hymn “Jerusalem, My Destiny” before taking our places back inside. It wasn’t until many years later that they realized Palm Sunday was not just about cheering for Jesus and waving palms, but meant hearing the Gospel of the Passion of Christ. (“Mom! I just realized that Palm Sunday is depressing,” one of my teenagers once whispered, appalled.)
The word passion seems to be a strange word to describe the suffering that Jesus went through during Holy Week. After all, when we think of “passion” we think of couples who love each other intensely (thank you, William Shakespeare). Strangely enough, Shakespeare was the one being inventive. For well over a thousand years the word “passion,” from the Latin passio, was used exclusively to describe Jesus’ torments leading to and including the pain of his death on the cross.
None of us likes to contemplate suffering – not Jesus’ and, especially, not our own. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, if we see suffering on the horizon, we beg God not to let it come near us. This Lent the entire world has been pleading with God for an end to COVID-19 and its overwhelming repercussions.
The truth is that suffering is a great mystery. Atheists point to suffering as the reason why they do not believe in God, but as a parent, I understand how a good and loving God allows suffering. God, like any good parent, knows what is best for us – what experiences will help us to become holy people capable of loving God and our neighbor with our whole heart, mind, and strength.
Moms and dads learn very quickly that suffering is often necessary for the good of their children. We hold our babies while they get shots that hurt, but protect them from deadly illnesses. We feed our toddlers green veggies despite the bitter taste so they will be healthier in mind and body. We insist our youngsters do their homework before they play video games. We are such ogres that we make our kiddos actually go to bed in order to get enough sleep. Before our children even receive their First Holy Communion, we parents KNOW why God allows suffering.
By then we also know that it goes both ways. Anyone who has ever read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein knows the sacrifices that loving our children well require.
This Sunday’s Gospel -- The Passion of the Lord – reminds us that we are loved with a passion by a good God who only wants the best for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” – John 3:16
JoAnn Elder
Director of Faith Formation
Nativity Catholic Church
Nativity Update
Nativity Catholic Church has made Life Choices Medical Clinic its parish Lenten Almsgiving Project.
Here is a message and video from Executive Director, Tina Stafstrom:
Dear Nativity Community,
We thank you for joining us in daily prayer for women, babies and families in crisis today. It is through prayer that Our Lord gives us peace, clarity and strength to discern his will.
During this time of distress and isolation, it is increasingly stressful for women who are discovering they are pregnant. More calls are coming in daily. We continue to serve, under the CDC guidelines, because they deserve a choice. They need hope and support.
Know that we are deeply grateful for your sacrificial gifts especially at this moment of uncertainty and for being a community that cherishes all life. We pray that our Lord’s love and protection surround you and your families now and always.
May God Bless you abundantly.
Tina Stafstrom
Life Choices Medical Clinic
Take a moment to watch this brief video from Tina as she shares about their mission to help women in crisis pregnancies.
Please consider supporting their work by making a donation towards our parish Lenten Almsgiving Project. You can make a secure and convenient donation online at https://nativity.weshareonline.org/