Covid 19 Pandemic – How do you want to come out of it? 

As we slowly emerge from Covid 19 which has, and continues to impact on our daily lives, Pope Francis asks:

 How do you want to come out of it? better or worse? He says:

“Once we emerge from this pandemic, we will not be able to keep doing what we were doing, and as we were doing it. No, everything will be different”

In our Carmelite Monasteries, life during the past months was different; our doors were closed to the public, like everybody else there was no daily Mass for the Sisters and local community. Our altar bread work was at a standstill. Life was quieter and different. However, we still received requests for prayer by letter and email, more than ever.

Lockdown changed our live too. It gave us more time for reflection.  Yet, in other ways lockdown was similar to our normal daily lives.

We were very aware of what was happening, the loss of life, the risks to our frontline workers the need for the country to work together and to do its part to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

We felt our role was to continue to be faithful to our vocation and the call to be present in prayer for all people. To be a listening ear in a new way by phone, email and letter.

Covid 19 was and still is a challenge for all of us without exception and we need to spend time reflecting on how it has affected our lives and what changes we need to make.

“From the great trials of humanity – among them this pandemic – one emerges better or worse. You don’t emerge the same. I ask this of you: how do you want to come out of it? Better or worse?” (Pope Francis)

People need to open their minds and hearts to learn the central lesson from this crisis: “We are one humanity,” said Pope Francis.”