Six Faith Responses to the Coronavirus

We have heard so much about how we should respond medically to the Coronavirus, but how should we respond spiritually? It is perhaps appropriate that concern for this virus is taking place during Lent, a time of prayer, penance, and sometimes suffering. Suffering, while never seen by the Church as a good in itself, nonetheless can lead to a supernaturally transformative quality that cannot be replaced by any other human experience. St. John Paul II put it this way: “It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for the grace which transforms human souls (Salvifici Doloris, 27).” Through the uniting of our present sufferings, including those related to Coronavirus, to the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross, we can cause a supernatural release of the graces merited infinitely by Jesus on Calvary to be applied for the salvation of our brothers and sisters today. So, how should we as Catholics respond to the suffering, fear and anxiety that has been caused by this virus in recent weeks? In some ways human fear of the virus may be worse than the virus itself, so we should be practical and prayerful. Thus, the FIRST thing that we must do is to TRUST GOD. Viral disease is a fact of biological existence and a part of creation. Keeping perspective and not panicking apply here, just as they do for all risks we face as creatures in a finite world. No matter how dire circumstances get, the Lord remains our refuge and strength, “an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). To trust in the Lord amid trouble is to experience and bear witness to the power of Christ. Second, as our Blessed Mother has always told us, we must constantly PRAY. We must pray for the sick and the scared, for public health officials, for doctors and nurses, for researchers, and for caregivers. As Catholics, we believe prayer has power. As we seek help from the Lord, now is the time for us to increase our prayer response, which remains the perennial Christian remedy for greater fear and anxiety. Our third response is a very practical one, to HEAL THE SICK. A core calling for Catholics is to care for the sick and dying (Matt. 10:8), sometimes at the risk of our own lives (John 15:13). This is the epitome of love. Even if a virus outbreak prevents us from gathering as congregations to worship, we still support one another in our caregiving. This can happen through prayer, through verbal encouragement, and through coming alongside others to provide help in a crisis. Our fourth response is to STAY INFORMED. We live in the Communications Revolution. The media is aflame with daily updates, but we cannot overdo it. Reading, watching, and listening to everything only increases anxiety. So, be selective in where you receive your information and utilize only reliable sources. Our fifth response is to RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST. It is not an oversimplification to say that all human challenges can find their ultimate answer and remedy in the Eucharist. Jesus is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, and his Sacred and Eucharistic Heart possesses a more effective solution and consolation to every human trial. Receive Jesus more frequently in Holy Communion, attend daily Mass, take some time each day to sit with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration, and tell Him each worry of your heart. These are heavenly balms for earthly hearts that feel overburdened, and when utilized, one can typically feel the fear and anxiety dissipate by the moment. Finally, we should TURN TO MARY. Early Christians knew well the powerful result of invoking Mary, the Mother of God and the spiritual Mother of all peoples during times of disaster. Along with the great and powerful prayer of the Rosary, we can pray the ancient Marian prayer, Sub Tuum Praesidium (“Under Your Protection”, c.250 A.D.), which called upon the Mother of God particularly during times of trial and persecution in the early Church in order to receive her unparalleled motherly intercession in their gravest of necessities. This is a powerful prayer said frequently by all Piarists around the world in every language. The “Corona” virus, which named after the series of crown-like spikes on its surface, is causing a worldwide escalation in fear and anxiety and has the potential of creating worldwide economic recessions, cessations of global travel, international supply stoppages, and most importantly, monumental significant human suffering and loss of life. However, history, time and time again, testifies to the truth that invoking the Mother of all peoples at times of potential disaster leads to both personal spiritual peace and historic global peace. The Piarist Fathers also have another special Marian prayer that we recite, “The Crown (Corona) of the 12 Stars.” Perhaps instead of becoming anxious and fearful, it is time that we plunge into spiritual combat and have one Corona go up against another.