Source: Rev. Fr. Henry Bocala
Catholic Pilgrimage PH | by Rev. Fr. Henry Bocala | Healing in Times of a Pandemic | The Covid pandemic exposed our vulnerability. Rich or poor, young or old, men or women, educated or unlettered, the whole of humanity was brought to its knees. In a sense, the virus showed our brokenness as a person and as a people.
N95 masks and social distancing protect us from infection to a degree. Because the virus, albeit contagious, remains external to man. But these safety measures can’t filter spiritual malaise, for it is bred in the human heart. Covid-19 infects us from without, but covetousness for example, afflicts us from within. So do pride, wrath, sloth, lust and the likes.
We’re all broken in a way. Whether it’s conflict, sickness, guilt, poverty, unhappy marriage, depression, or death of a loved one, no one is unscathed in this troubled life. Our pains and travails are rooted in human fragility.
Confined to our homes, we do well to take a closer look at ourselves. We naturally worry about food supplies, savings, job retention, safety of our loved ones, etc. But the virus provides an occasion for us to face a more important battle – our inner conflicts. However tragic the pandemic is, it still is a physical evil that need not destroy man in his deepest being.
A more insidious enemy is moral evil – anything that hurts God, others and ourselves. It cuts deep and leaves a lasting scar. If in a normal situation we’re too busy to ponder about deep things, quarantine is a good occasion to reflect and pray. Where? There in your bedroom, in a little corner, before a holy image, or in the terrace. If you’re up to it, there are drive-through confessions in some parking lots and sidewalks where you can “drop off your sins,” thanks to the Church’s effort to bring Christ closer to the people.
You don’t need a swab to test if you’re positive. We’re all positive – it’s a fact. We just have to find out what strain it is, what our personal issues are. Once you come to terms with your shortcomings, it’s easier to get along with others. You’ll be more understanding and forgiving. Little annoyances fade away, you smile more often, there’s gentleness in your voice, you don’t mind being the last, the happy old days come back to life.
Pope Francis said that “What we are living now is a place of ‘metanoia’ (conversion), and we have the chance to begin” again. “So, let’s not let it slip from us, let us move ahead.” The healing begins as soon as we humbly seek God’s forgiveness. “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Ps 103:8)
The specter of death is hovering in the air. Life is short and we’re kinda scared: which brings to the fore the importance of mending our ways. Perhaps God is telling us something through the global crisis. As millions of people are infected, the whole world is being purified, you and I are being called to healing and conversion.
A Michigan woman struggled to say goodbye to her husband, who died of COVID-19. She couldn’t see him days before he died, except for FaceTime calls and couldn’t attend his funeral. How sad and painful! Could we imagine if this happened to us? This story is repeated in many other places.
In our life we have family, friends and loved ones who are there for us through thick and thin. But there comes a moment when we’re left alone with God at the threshold of eternity. Don’t wait for that moment to come! He is there now knocking at the door of your heart, you just have to open it!
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REV. FR. HENRY BOCALA, JC is a secular priest incardinated in the Prelature of Opus Dei. He is a Life Coach, Lecturer, and Author of books such as, Arise and Walk: How Does Your Christian Faith Fit in a Confused World?, Mending A Broken Society: What Happens When We Forget Who We Are?, Vital Signs: Where Is Your Life Heading?, and Your Life Begins Here: Dare To Find Your True Self and Be the Person You Are Meant to Be.
Before receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Orders, Fr. Bocala had worked as a freelance writer and an aide to a Senator in the Philippine Congress. A Political Science graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP), he entered the UP College of Law, but later shifted to ecclesiastical studies. He is also a seasoned painter and has joined several art exhibits.
Since his ordination to the priesthood, Fr. Bocala has devoted himself entirely to pastoral tasks especially among students and young professionals. His initial training as a new priest was carried out in Spain, Italy, South Africa, and Israel. He was also the Chaplain of Warrane College at the University of New South Wales in Sydney (Australia) before coming back to the Philippines in 2003.
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Keywords: healing, healing in a pandemic
