When my grandfather was a young man in the 1950s he was in peek athletic shape, but it’s something he took for granted.
When he turned 18 he joined the Romanian Soviet military, like many men during that time. During his time his time in the military he picked up smoking cigarettes. He didn’t think much of it; it’s something he just did since all his buddies were doing it.
During the time my grandfather was in the military, he met my grandmother. After about a year of dating, they got married and shortly after had my mother.
As my mom was growing my grandfather dedicated countless hours to teaching her how to skate, swim and do gymnastics. He also enjoyed hiking in the dense forests just outside of their town.
Throughout all this, my grandfather continued to smoke without giving it any thought. After all, smoking was just the norm. Every man did it. Until one day, he was swimming with my mom in a pool and realised he could no longer swim its length. He was completely out of breath before even reaching the halfway point of the pool.
Concerned, he went to the doctor and had his chest x-rayed. The x-ray revealed black soot covering the inside of his lungs.
This image was a wake up call for my grandfather. There was nothing he valued more than his health and time with my mom. My grandfather realised that if he didn’t stop smoking he will loose the things he values most. Since that day in the doctor’s office, he has never touched another cigarette.
My grandfather is now 85, still rides his bike, goes for longs walks and is able to care for my grandmother.
It took an alarming “wakeup call” to shock my grandfather out of his complacency.
An Opportunity for Renewal
I’m of the belief that God can permit some evil (natural or moral) to shake us out of complacency. More importantly, I believe, that He can permit evil so that his power can become more evident.
One example of this is Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the grave.
As C.S. Lewis reflects on the early death his wife in his book “A Grief Observed”, he arrives at the following realization: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
Keep in mind this is a written by a man, who not only lost his wife, but also lived through WWI and WWII.
A common theme in today’s mass readings is renewal in the midst of suffering.
Amidst this current crisis, what is Jesus trying to renew in your life? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this pandemic has forced us into retreat during Lent.
The purpose of Lent is to deprive ourselves of worldly comforts so that we can come to recognize our dependence on God.
I don’t know about you, but I have certainly been deprived of a lot of things I take for granted. For one, financial certainty. To be frank, when I looked at my families investments in the past week I dropped more than an F-bomb. Another things I have often took for granted is going to a store whenever I want and the shelved being so full that I have trouble deciding between which brand of canned black beans to get for making burritos. Recently I didn’t have the choice of buying and brand of black beans; I had to settle for green beans, which I despise.
Of course this is trivial in the greater scheme of things, but it goes to show how comfortable life I have been living.
Takeaways
So to conclude, I’d like to share with you some things I have been forced to realize in the last week.
First, is the importance of family. Luckily, we are staying with our family in St. Catharines for the time being. I feel the temptation to binge on YouTube Videos, Amazon Prime Shows, or scroll through endless social media updates regarding the pandemic. With two little girls, that’s not an option.
So with our family’s schedule being completely blank, I have been playing with my girls in the backyard as they jump and roll around in muddy puddles (they’re Peppa Pig fans).
I also have been practicing being still, reflecting on daily mass readings and praying the rosary. In the face of so much uncertainty, I have no option, but to lean on Jesus, if I don’t want to be overburdened by anxiety.
These two things I am grateful for.
Prayer
Almighty and powerful God. Help us to lean on you and trust that from this pandemic a renewed world will emerge. We pray for the ill and frontline healthcare workers, including my mom (who’s a nurse), that they received the wisdom, strength and peace to overcome this virus. We pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.