OUR RUDE AWAKENING – PINS OF LIGHT

Lord, I know You are always with me. There’s that voice inside me that tells me what to do. But more often than not, I procrastinate. Afraid to see what lies beyond. Afraid to rock the boat. Until that moment comes when I have to tell myself… if only. Forgive me Lord, for the lack of courage, for the lack of trust, for the anxiety that oftentimes engulf me. I wish to fully surrender myself into Your Will. But surrendering does not mean doing nothing. Surrendering means discerning Your Will and acting on it. Lead me Lord and give me courage.

How many times Lord have we distanced ourselves from You. During this pandemic I realized that in spite of man’s intelligence and knowledge in the fields of science and technology, man cannot make himself God. We must allow God to be God. The pandemic made me hold on ever closer to Him in the midst of losing people you love,seeing them die alone. In the midst of not knowing what tomorrow will bring, I humbly place myself before my God. The outpouring of generosity and the rise of common folks here and there becoming heroes for the destitutes and the hopeless made me exclaim that indeed God is not far away but is in our midst. He beckons me to reach out,to help,to console and to love.

I feel God’s protection in my life through the pandemic. I still have my job, my loved ones are safe and healthy, I have been well despite my health risks. But the isolation, the distancing, can sometimes feel so draining and lonely. There are times when I feel alone and sad, so far away from everyone (literally and figuratively) even God. I’d like to think I’m not the only one. Isolation can be cruel.

I feel that the Lord is neither far nor near, but that he is both ‘here’ and ‘there.’ I am privileged that I have not been very affected why this pandemic work-wise, and thankfully my loved ones have remained safe and healthy. But I know this is not the case for so many people. And I know that God is not absent, I feel His presence. But where He is, I am not sure. It feels as if there is a fog over everything, and it is through that fog that I find Him.

Lord,

In spite of all the things happening in the world, I feel and see You. I feel and see You in every frontliner who chooses to go to work in spite of the fear and the threat of sickness and death. I feel and see You in my generous countrymen who choose to volunteer and give their time and treasure towards worthy causes. I feel and see You in friends and family who check up on us, and ask if there is anything that we need. I feel and see You in your gracious providence in our life and business. I feel and see You in the love of my husband and child.

Dear Lord, Help me find the road. Show me the path to where I am going. Guide my decisions that I may find the right road that will lead me closer to you. I am nearing the end of the road. I would like to focus my life on you. Please accompany me. Thank you Lord.

Jess, Ikaw lang. Ikaw lang ang nagbibigay lakas. Ikaw lang ang nagbibigay linaw. Ikaw lang ang makakasagot. Ikaw lang ang makasasagip. Ikaw lang ang makakapitan.

Dear God,
Reflecting on how your best friends slept while you suffered, anguished, on the night before you died…
It made me realize that I am one of those friends, too. The times I distanced myself a bit from you, when you have made things OK in my life, then I “rest” from calling you every day.
I am sorry for those many times, dear Lord.
Lately, I have found so much peace and joy in steeping myself in you. Trying my best to go to Mass everyday, to find time especially focused on talking to you, even trying to do little tasks that I know would please you, Lord. But, even then – I still find instances when I wanted to do something else, or I was too lazy to move and go to church, or just little things that gave me an excuse not to go to you. Even when I knew in my heart that I was so blest, it was always still a real struggle sometimes.
So every single time I found myself in church for Mass was like a benediction, a little win against the devil who kept whispering excuses for me… and everytime I was with you, I thanked you for giving me that grace to overcome my laziness, my complacency.
And I realize now that just because you have shown me love so many times, every day in fact, I should not – must not – take you for granted, God. I should not take this hard won gift of faith for granted. I should never, ever wilfully distance myself from you, because far away from you is the loneliest place to be.
Please help me still, everyday, God. Never allow me to be lonely, without you. Let me always be yours.

I’ve never been this close to you in a very long time. I know this is a wake up call for many of us. I’ve been trying to be closer to you even before this. Help me increase my trust and faith in you. Help me realize that you will never leave us alone. Thank you for dying for our sins.

I think the Lord is distancing Himself from us for now for us to realize our need for Him. Most of us distanced ourselves from Him before this crisis happened. Now, almost everybody returned to prayer, to calling unto Him. Maybe due to the busyness of life, the Lord was push at the backseat in our lives. This crisis is some sort of wake up call that’s telling us, we need Him to be at the foremost of our lives.

Lord, lead me back to you. I am not sure of the future but I am placing my life in your hands.

This is the closest I’ve felt to you in the longest time. You needed to create a “quiet time” in my overfilled daily life long enough for me to get used to being still and be able to hear and feel you. And I’m starting to, after a month of lockdown.

I’m very grateful to this beautiful silent retreat, I’ve learned so much, for isn’t enough to say, nice or beautiful , for me I’m more in practical,in other words,put into practice or action, distancing isn’t hard for me, you need that one hour to meditate and ponder the word of Jesus into your life Amen.

I know the feeling of being treated so rudely. It’s like taking out a part of you from being complete or comfortable. When you believe you are invincible, then in the next few minutes or days, you are vulnerable.

Jesus wants his disciples (us) to embrace uncertainty and let LOVE grow stronger in their hearts, so that even when their worlds turn upside down, they will be victorious.

PRAY unceasingly..
LOVE will keep us alive, not science.

Lord, I know and feel you are in the midst of all this. What I often ask is “Why?”. And then I remember that You gave Your only son to redeem us. Although it pained You and gave Him so much agony, Your plan prevailed because of Your great love for us. I have to remember this, Lord, in order to go forward, in order to feel with full certainty that Your Divine Plan is at work and that Your love for us is immeasurable.

Coping with the changes brought by this abrupt change in the way the world works has been overwhelming. But in the midst of the panic and the sadness at all that has been happening around me, I see so many little miracles—-more kindness, more giving, more patience in the way people interact be it in person or over social media. It takes something this drastic to make us stop and listen to God.

When we are deeply troubled with anything that happens in our lives, we often feel both sides of the coin. We keep in our minds and hearts that God is omniscient and that he’s everywhere. He can never be near or far enough for us. He’s always there. And he always listens. It’s when we don’t get a visual, audible, or abstract thought of an answer to our concerns and prayers that makes us feel like we’re distant or God’s distancing himself from us.

We can’t always know the reason why but what we can be sure of is that, no matter what the answer to all of these is, good or bad, that God’s always going to be there for us and guide us in our daily journey through life. A promise he made known since the beginning of time and will never break for the rest of generations to come.

I didn’t feel anything different. My life has continued to be the same. Yes there have been some inconveniences brought about by the lockdown. But then I remained to be busy while working from home, prayed the rosary from time to time, exercise when I can.
But then this is the first time I am doing this online retreat. I was very eager to participate in a silent retreat this year during Holy Week but this Covid-19 situation happened.
Reflecting now, the silent retreat may have been just an excuse for me to grab a vacation time. An easy way and nice to share reason to unplug myself for 5 or 7 days. As I type my thoughts now, and go thru this online retreat, amids the temptation of just watching Netflix, I move away from being passive. To be more active, decisive in wanting to do some reflections this Holy Week.

Lord, I’ve been neglectful of the things I should be prioritizing…because of these I’m scared that You would leave me. Lord, please don’t leave me…give me another chance. And I’m grateful for you’ve always been generous and faithful to me. Thank you, Jesus. This I pray in Your mighty name. Amen.

My brother, who was dying three years back, tried to not let me know of his situation so that I wouldn’t be distracted from my academics in Manila. I should have been there for him, but he distanced himself. I was getting hints about him being sick at that time, but I guess I just waited for the most convenient time for me to be back home. When I came, it was too late. I feel the situation of Peter, James, and John at this point. Sometimes, the hero just wanted to be the hero all by himself, so that others will be spared from the situation.

In the midst of all the advances of the world and all our desires to explore, we forget the real essence of TIME. I would like to think that the COVID-19 Pandemic is God’s way of saying to us that we have to slow down. Making plans is good, but making plans without giving time for Jesus in the equation is disappointing. I pray that all the families of the afflicted that they may find peace even at their lost, I pray for people to use this time to reflect on the greater things that God wants us to learn and most of all, I pray that God will forgive all the nations and start the healing. We are in a fight where we cannot see the real enemy and all that we can do is to trust Jesus, Lord, Father and Savior to save us all and protect us.

This pandemic has made me realize that the world can stop. Our usual routines and our mindless wanderings can be refocused. Left with a choice between acquiring the disease or staying at home, we choose life, we choose health, we choose family.
We turn To God because we know that only a miracle can save and heal the world. We trust in his compassion. We hope for deliverance.

A couple of weeks before the quarantine period, I had a horrible accident that left me questioning about a lot of things, about myself and about my faith. Was I doing the right (or wrong) thing to and for the Lord? Why did it have to happen to me? I went on to physically and socially distance myself (even before this terms were a buzzword), out of worry of being pitied and talked about. I never wanted to speak to anyone, let alone tell my story. For a while, I asked where He was. But God did not leave or forsake me, even when unknowingly I distanced from Him by doubting His wisdom.
He was there all the time and let me through those dark days, saved me, and gave me answers to my questions.
I pray to the Lord for His mercy and that He does the same for all of us in this time of crisis.

A couple of weeks before the quarantine, I had a horrible accident that left me questioning about a lot of things, about myself and about my faith. Was I doing the right (or wrong) thing to and for the Lord? Why did it have to happen to me? I went on to physically and socially distance myself (even before this terms were a buzzword), out of worry of being pitied and talked about. I never wanted to speak to anyone, let alone tell my story. For a while, I asked where He was. But God did not leave or forsake me, even when unknowingly I distanced from Him by doubting His wisdom.
He was there all the time and let me through those dark days, saved me, and gave me answers to my questions.
I pray to the Lord for His mercy and that He does the same for all of us in this time of crisis.

We lost relatives to Covid19 and felt such grief and sorrow because social distancing disallowed holding any memorial services. And then it hit me. For three days, I had four of the many symptoms of the dreaded plague. I cried. Amidst talks to Covid19 hotlines and two doctors and frantic search for a hospital with an available room, I managed to send text messages of “I Love You dearly” to some closest friends. But God did not leave me, there was nary a distance between us. He was with me from the time I let out a cry at the thought of hospital solitary confinement, and throughout the fears and anxieties of whether I would still come out alive. I never felt God nearer to me than those scary minutes when we drove from one hospital to another. God bridged whatever perceived gaps there may have been through the situations and circumstances I faced during that fearful day which stretched long into the night. And I saw Jesus in and through others who unceasingly prayed that I be saved from this frightening disease, and the ER medical workers who attended to me. And God saved me and God healed me.

I have never been as close as I wanted to be with you, big G. But I’d like to ask you to guide our dearly departed—especially those who parted serving those in need—to your arms. That you may give them eternal comfort in your glory.

Thank you for your presence in people around me—my friends and my parents. Through them, I feel you so much, big G. Miss you..

The Lord is so near. Prior to the explosion of the outbreak, I have lost some loved ones, and even with that pain I cannot find in myself to grieve. I busied myself, the process neglected my health. I know I was lost but I chose to ignore both my grief and my pain. Here with social distancing — nothing to distract me — not work, not my friends. I am here alone in my home unable to go out. Yes, there is still work, but there are many moments of silence. And here the Lord sits me down so I can grieve. The Lord sits me down so I can break down and confront my own pain, my fears, my anxieties, my loneliness. I needed to be alone so he could mute all the noise. And there is the silence, and the suffering of others, I recognize my own suffering and my own need of God.

Dear Lord, you have always been with me and my family in our daily lives but we tend to take you for granted at times. Forgive us Lord for our shortcomings and may You continue to be with us, guide and protect us especially in this time of pandemic. We love you Lord with all our hearts. We implore your guiding light to shine down on us and healing power to touch me and my loved ones and the entire humanity as we fight to end this pandemic. Amen ?

Lord, I was already lost prior to this pandemic. I have buried myself in material and useless things that I forgot to seek You. I have lost You and I continuously try to bury my emptiness and feelings of loneliness with material things and seeking happiness in people around me. I forgot that only You can fill thing longing in my heart, only You can help me get out of this void that I call my life. Lord, help me to find You once again, to nurture my relationship with You. Help me to seek You above all things.

The Lord feels so much closer now in our fear and pain. His presence is almost palpable—more than it ever was when we were distracted. He has always been there, we just have more distance to see now, have more silence to appreciate now, have more emotions stirring that make us see. Now, with a lot less distraction and stripped of other things, we cling on to Him through this storm. I personally feel His strength now. But more so, I feel his pain reflecting ours, as He tightly grips our hand through this ordeal. Thank you Lord. Your will be done.

I feel God’s guidance and hand in the everyday circumstances of my life. He always sends me blessings every single day. In my daily readings , in people he has placed in our lives. We may have lost one source of income due to cv19 but trust that God will continue to provide just as He always has.

Lord, this is your will. Give us the grace to accept this.

Mankind was doing too little to late in saving its environment and themselves. I myself felt I was in this hurricane on a cycle going round and round but towards destruction. It would really just be a matter of time when the Lord would just need to end all of it.
But this pandemic came.
It is a great lesson for me. A painful, hard, challenging time that would again put my will on a test. Would I succumb to continue as I am and give up or would I change my course and trust believe and surrender myself to the holy will of God.

I have never felt God closer to mankind as this time. His great mercy was put into place by putting as humans in our place of stillness. Be still and trust in HIM. There is enough kindness to go around.

With what we were doing to ourselves, our neighbors, our famy, our surroundings, our environment, God would have chosen to just end it all. But in His GREAT LOVE FOR US, he chose to THE WHOLE WORLD ANOTHER CHANCE to change by giving us the best resource…
TIME.
The chance has been given….THE CHOICE IS OURS.
Please choose peace and let’s all.work towards it through kindness and compassion for each other.

I know You are near but I am pained knwing that I am hurting and displeasing You in my ways. I have failed to love and be a vessel and channel of Your love and bring Him to orhers. You are near Lord but my ways, my thoughts, cares and worries are like He does not know what I am going though. It is as if I am living without You.
Teach me oh Lord, Let my mind, heart and spirit draw near to You and Your love. Amen

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Your constant love and mercy.
Seasons may change but Your love never fails.
Humanity is trembled and shaken with this pandemic crisis. Please forgive us of our sins. Please grant us the grace of deeper understanding, humility and solidarity as we live the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Risen Christ. We live for You, Oh, Lord.

Amidst the darkness, Lord, Your light still
shines through.

Lord, I have ignored your calls to wake up.

You’ve always been there from the beginning. It is I who need a push every now and then to reach out to You. I am grateful for the people who always help me to see You and remember You. I thank the Holy Spirit for whispering to my soul that I still need to reach out to others and not be content to wallow in comfort.

Lord, no matter how much and how often i have distanced myself from You, You have never left my side. You are always with me even when i forget to acknowledge you and your love. These past few months you have timed everything to perfection so my needs are addressed and my prayers and pleadings were all heard and granted – just in time – in Your time! I thank you and I love you. Please never tire of being with me and the rest of humanity despite our failings. Always be near us especially during these trying times no matter how much we distance ourselves from you.

I would always remember how dark my days were two years ago. I lost myself in the process of loving someone deeply, and I didn’t know what to do after we broke up. However, amid that darkness, You called me to return to Your care. And I felt that I did not go astray ever since. You saved me.

And amid the negativity and uncertainties brought about by this pandemic, I still know that Your love shines and pours on us. This home quarantine, a disruption from the normalcy, remains an opportunity to understand Your will even deeper. I do hope that the world would be able to withstand this pandemic and draw a deeper relationship with you, because we need Your love and grace now more than ever.

In the midst of this uncertain time, you did not distance yourself from me Lord. You are there in the face of my family who always brighten my day, even if I am thousand of miles away from them. My friends who always check on me and my Catholic Chaplaincy family who still enrich me with spiritual blessings. Amen

To distance myself from You, Lord, at this time, would be the tragedy of my life. Only the truth that You are in control and are with me here gives me consolation.

Dearest Lord,
I am so sorry. What I am going through now is my own doing. I distanced myself to You- not attending mass regularly, etc. I know You’re always with me, especially when I call. But I failed in my part. I always seek to have an intimate relationship with you, but it is I who’s not acting on it.
Lord, thank you for always being with me despite my shortcomings.

Thank you Lord that You continue to be with me, even if we don’t notice it because of our tendency to be too “busy” with life before this pandemic. Thank you for keeping me healthy and safe. I do fear, Lord, for the uncertainties that lie ahead, especially with the vulnerable sectors of society – the poor, the thousands/millions at risk of losing their jobs worldwide as this goes on, etc. Moving forward I know that You have something in store for us. Let thy will be done. Amen.

Forgive me Lord for the numerous times I have distanced myself from you. Forgive me Lord for I am afraid, insensitive, selfish, greedy and righteous. I surrender myself to you. Cleanse me. Purify me. Heal me. Come near me always.

my procrastinations in life had found a perfect excuse in this corona lockdown. I simply was paying lip service to on goings of life before as time went by. the quarantine became perfect with me as the world went in-sync with me. My fear now is how do I snap out if this once the ban is lifted?
I AM A SLOTH!
Help me Lord to move with the world.

I think God is in the midst of this pandemic. He has never left us but it is us who have distanced ourselves from him, thus we may feel He is far away. God is calling us to come near to Him again before we we totally forget Him or loose our way. It’s not only 3 times but in my case many times that God has invited me to commune with Him but I always have excuses to give. The author of this pandemic is not God, and it may be us humans who have abused our environment which gave rise to this deadly virus. God in His great mercy is calling us once again to be with Him. I hope this time, I will not turn my back but listen to what He has to say and be ready to do His will. I put my trust in God. Amen!

Lord, there’s just so much uncertainty and this uncertainty has made me feel a certain level of anxiety that I have never felt before. I worry about what the future holds for me, my family and the world. Whenever I feel hopeless, I am reminded of how I can always turn to You, O Lord. There are days that I struggle to feel Your presence especially when faced with the harsh realities which are beyond my control. In spite of this, I still find myself feeling grateful beyond measure for what I have and the blessings I enjoy amidst this crisis. I constantly hope & pray for good health and better days ahead.

Dear Lord,
Despite all that’s happening in the world, I am still grateful that my family is still blessed with good health. Even though we have limited resources, we are still able to eat decent and complete meals.

Of course, I am still worried of what’s to come next. I am worried about the uncertainty of this quarantine period that the government is implementing. However, I always pray for You to bless us with courage and hope so that we can face these challenges with much strength and faith.

The world must indeed be purifying itself as our skies have never been bluer, stars and moons have never shone so brighter, the air and water have cleared itself of pollutants, at least in appearance. And yet behind these beautiful scenes we now get to admire, there are people who are suffering, their worries not eased, their anger cannot be contained. While nature heals itself, humans scramble to live. How powerless we are in the face of such pandemic! Our old ways cannot go on as we have seen how our ecology has suffered for it. It is like a bitter pill we must take in order to get well. This crisis points out not the limits of our body but the fragility of our current society.

Lord, do not hide your face from us. Please do not delay. COme to our aid! Help us, Lord! Have mercy!

Lord sorry for distancing myself from you.How many times have you called but I didnt respond sorry now that even the church which has been my refuge is closed i thirst for You Lord hear us and please forgive us Heal us oh Lord

I think God has finally judged us all. He listens and spares the faithful, the ones who continuously call out His name for help. He saves those who repent, and turns His back to those who were long astray. Let us remember that God is Almighty-omnipotent, omniscient. We must submit ourselves to Him before it’s too late. Repent! Pray!

Too many innocent lives lost… too many innocent lives on the line… cannot help but think if God is simply watching the world wither away…

This distancing has given me a better perspective and greater appreciation of a world that is more quiet and less polluted. It is about time that the world takes a pause and reflect on how we have been living our lives. I recently learned that the word quarantine comes from the Latin word quaresma, meaning forty and also the season that we are in. Talk about perfect timing! Thank you Lord for all the realizations and blessings that I have been given during this period of quarantine and social distancing.

He has always been there. The distance were mine for taking him for granted. Like his 3 friends who took for granted his sorrow, I tend to my business clueless of his.

I feel that the Lord is with the poor and those who are financially, medically, and psychologically affected by this pandemic. He is with them through His people. Jesus is with the sick in the presence of the health workers. He is with the poor through the different good-hearted people. He is with them through our online guidance counselors. He is with us all. He is present at this time.

I feel that he is both very near and far away.
I feel he is near through my friends really, my friends that plan to struggle after all of this is over, I feel he is there in our words and righteous anger.

But sometimes I feel he is far not because he is far but rather he is far because I myself keep him at a distance. I don’t know if it’s because of my own mental state or is it because of all that is happening, but I sometimes, many times wish not to pray wish not to be able to do much because I feel all the joy is sometimes sucked out of me and the pain feels to great to move. But instead of turning to him, I turn to things that are definitely not worth my time.

But sometimes I feel he is far because of the anger everyone has, the pain everyone feels, that sometimes he keeps his distance from these people because these people are willing to blame him or discount his being there because what is happening, and it makes me sad personally, because I feel like God has done not much wrong, but rather the decisions that are unguided by him that hurt all of us.

Father in Heaven, it’s is so true.. this pandemic was so unexpected .. we did not even realize how big it is and how it would affect each of us.. I am thankful for my children especially my son.. who has been so much closer in the last few days I see his concern and support even from a distance thank you Lord.. my sweet daughter remains close to me .. lost income and uncertain of how it would be when are this is over give me diarrhea, feeling anxious and yet knowing I can’t do anything about it cause I have no control .. thank you for the savings that I now have to use and the ability to help others in my small way.. thank you Lord because I do feel take. Cared of .. it could far worst. I thank you from the depths of my heart and I know tomorrow is another day. amen

Lord I know you are always there present in all the things going on in this world we live in right now! I know you are there for all of us suffering in this pandemic that wreak a havoc in our daily lives! Sometimes I feel that amidst all these deaths I feel that you are distancing yourself to us, but when I see those heroic health care people caring for the sick, those generous people handing food from their own pockets to the poor to feed them at this times, I see your face in them! I am asking you Lord when will this be over? Please help me strengthen my faith in you in this very difficult times!

I feel the Lord is present when I recognize all the good people are capable of being, their positive spirit and their courage in light of the times. I feel the Lords presence in the simple blessings around me, my family, my home, and nourishment we receive each day. I feel the Lords presence in the blue sky and the greens in the garden. And each day he gives me to hope for the survival of our Country. When I can still believe and pray to him, I know he is there.

Thank you for loving me Lord. I felt that you prepared me before all these that’s causing fear, grief and anxiety. Thank you for showing me the way. I will hold unto you, for you are my rock that protects and strengthens me.

I feel that Jesus is present more so in the global challenges that we face today. We should turn to him for guidance and inspiration to know what we have to do to overcome this. He has already shown us what he could do for us having suffered and given up his life for our salvation. We can only strive to give as much as he has. If we believe in that and do that for each other then we can all overcome this together. This I believe and in turn we would save many many lives.

Dear Lord,

in the midst of much inner turmoil and
restlessness, there is a consoling thought: maybe you
are working in me in a way I cannot yet feel,
experience or understand. My mind is not able to
concentrate on you, my heart is not able to remain
centered, and it seems as if you are absent and have
left me alone. But in faith I cling to you. I believe that
your Spirit reaches deeper and further than my mind or
heart, and that profound movements are not the first to
be noticed.

Therefore, Lord, I promise I will not run away, not give
up, not stop praying, even when it all seems useless,
pointless, and a waste of time and effort. I want to let
you know that I love you even though I do not feel
loved by you, and that I hope in you even though I
often experience despair. Let this be a little dying I can
do with you and for you as a way of experiencing some
solidarity with the millions in this world who suffer far
more than I do. Amen.

Lord, I feel ashamed. You are always there. It was me who sometimes, unknowingly distanced myself from You due to senseless busy-ness. I have committed all venial sins – anger, vengeance, envy, lust, vanity, gluttony, laziness and even respect for parents, among others. You have healed and forgiven me several times. Now recently, it was due to gluttony I got sick. Forgive me again Lord. Heal me, my memory, body, spirit. Have mercy on me.

Dear Lord, I know I have been so distant to you but you still show the abundance of your love. Thank you for embracing me always with your love and comforting me when I am anxious and uncertain. I pray that I may recognize you always in the people I deal with everyday esp my family and those who need help.

Lord, I know that you have not left us, your people because you love us so much. Please reassure us that despite all the bad things happening to the world, and to many different people, You will help us understand everything and always remain in your love. I have to admit that right now, it’s been hard to see You lately, but I know and I want to believe that You haven’t left.

Amidst this pandemic, I see Jesus everywhere, working with our frontliners, grieving with those who have lost their loved ones, consoling those who have to stay at homes. Silent yet ever present, He suffers with us.

As the music was playing, I closed my eyes and it was the first time that I’ve seen the image of Jesus running with me, smiling, cheering me on. I’m a runner and am fortunate to still be able to run within our premises during ECQ. It’s what has kept me sane and hopeful all this time. The Lord has come to remind me that He’s always with me and that I can always run to Him, run with Him and all will be alright no matter what coz He’s got me. ❤️

I thought I was all set to begin a new life where I could rise from the ashes. I thought that by this time, my new house would be ready and I’d be dealing with the emotions of grieving the loss of the house I grew up in, yet planning a new business with a potential business partner. I spoke too soon, was so certain about my plans. Now, I have no idea what tomorrow holds. I should’ve remembered that life is a drama full of surprises and plot twists. I don’t even know how I feel. All I have is this deep yearning for my plans to still materialize after the quarantine is over. I just tell myself I need to wait and pray my mom and I are kept safe till the situation normalizes. I may not feel anything, but I know from experience that God is always part of my journey. I just need to be still and wait for the clarity to come.

I feel the Lord’s presence in the blessings he has given me. I know not everyone has the privilege of having a home and money to spend for food. I am grateful that the Lord has kept my family and loved ones safe from this pandemic and I pray that he continue to do so. I sometimes wonder what of those who experience loss, grief and suffering brought about by COVID 19? Has the Lord distanced himself from them? I don’t know the answer to this questions but I pray for them and I pray there will be thousands of us who have many to share their blessings to those who have none.

Amen & amen!!!

Dear Father, God almighty protect us all from this pandemic that is creating chaos in our world, save us our lord from our sins, I know you have a plan for us strengthen our resolve so we can endure this until the end, Lord in this silence that I am experiencing now I feel that you are very near me and blessing me right now. Thank you.

Lord, these are truly strange times. For all of us to have been ripped from our daily routines—it has disturbed our lives. And yet, aren’t we encouraged to pray to You, for You to disturb us? This is meant to keep us from getting too comfortable—because as we live in comfort, we fail to notice that others don’t have the same privilege. It’s a scary prayer, as no one wishes for trials or hardships. It seems like You’ve disturbed all of us, whether we asked You to or not. And as much as we’d like for things to go back to normal, wasn’t that the whole point—that we shouldn’t go back to normal? Normal means we were undisturbed—our eyes closed, much like James, John, and Peter in the garden. And now that our eyes are open, we cannot close them again.

Many times I get a calling to spend time with you Lord but often I get pre-occupied with other things. I feel sorry for not having spending more time with you Lord God. Despite sometimes the distance, you always call me. I should lessen more to your call and spend time with you.

Lord, thank you for everything. I’ve felt you everytime i shout for divine help but it is me who remained to have the distance. Please do not change, i need you now more than ever. Please don’t get tired holding my hands so i can tightly hold the hands of my kids. Give me more strength to be a better mom and dad to them.

Dear Jesus i do not know if the absence of fear and anxiety is because i have utmost belief that you are protecting me, my family and even loved ones. The sad part is what if i have just been too arrogant and quite lucky to have been spared. I continue to pray that you please keep everyone safe from this pandemic and that in Your own perfect time, this will be over soon. I am fortunate that I am loved by You that we feel that You are so near. Despite that, may we be able to pray and appreciate all You have done and all You have yet to do. Who do we run to if not you, our Lord and Savior and Redeemer. Amen

Dear Lord, I am struggling to put some order in my life. You have given me so many blessings and yet I still feel lost and anxious. Please help me open my eyes and my heart so I can find my way and my purpose. Thank you for this moment of peace and for your ultimate kindness.

??

He has been beside me all along. It is I who have distanced myself from Him, in pursuit of wanting things to be “just so”, imagining the attainment of such would bring happiness.

I have filled my head with so much fear over the future, it has become deafening; I no longer hear his assurance, “Trust. I have you.”

I pray for the courage to take his hand and follow without question. To be free of fear and worry. To be free to be genuine, generous and grateful.

Amen

God i know last feb u gave me what my heart truly desires but many things were off that time, idk, but when i asked u to just take it away because i know in myself that I cant leave the person. U made me realize to many things learn. I just pray that I can forgive myself for allowing such person to do those things to me and forgive him as well.

Praying for you

Lord, I have always trusted in your goodness and great love for us. But while I believe that you are our Light, there is also the Dark reality of you, my Lord. The darkness that allow us to grope and struggle in our weaknesses; to wrestle with the dangers and perils that surround us ; to navigate our way on the narrow and thorny path we tread; and to find the end of the dark tunnel where we search for a glimmer of light to cross us over to a new space, enlightened by the experience of the darkness and renewed by the challenges we need to overcome. You allowed all of these, Lord, because you loved us and like a true Father, you needed to let us go for us to know that you are the GOD of our lives. These dark times, make us hunger and thirst for you; to depend on you alone, our refuge, our fortress and our deliverer; and to learn the ropes of what life is without YOU. Thank you for the LIGHT and the DARK moments of our lives. Be with us always, LORD.

This covid 19 has made a lot of people trembling in fear, yes, because it is a faceless enemy. My rude awakening is it also has made our environment cleaner and gradually restore Mother earth to wellness. Even if this pandemic forced us to slow down as we are asked to just stay home to curb the spread of the disease, I appreciate really the impact of it – less expenses, increased family time, we become creative with our activities, and people have become more prayerful. If only this lifestyle becomes the new normal after the pandemic, with us back to our work and students are back to school, then, we may not anymore hear complaints about heavy traffic, of stressful days, and other toxic issues.
On hindsight, God must be warning us that if we don’t mend our ways toward the environment, we will suffer the consequences of our action. My prayer is for people to be more conscientious than ever in our care for Mother earth. God will surely restore and save us from all disasters if we heed this call of taking good care of our environment. We are all called to be selfless so everyone will enjoy a healthy and life-giving earth.

I believe that Our God is near and amidst this pandemic situations. He is Lord of all mercies, slow to anger. He never wishes His children struggle. He reaches out to us with His mighty power. Though invisible in His presence. He is protecting us as he did with Israelites, guarding them through the pillar of fire and cloud. Those pillars could be our national leaders, NHS and all those who risk their lives to save our humanity. As jesus gave himself as ransom for all, these medical personnel and people of good will offer their life of service to save the souls. I see Jesus in them. They are breaking their lives, security to the highest risk in order to promote life. May Jesus fill them and sanctify all with His own blood and help us to testify that He Is one true God. Jesus increase my little faith despite the storms of life.

Let us use this time of silence to reach for Jesus, He is near. Let us out of this lockdown different from how we started in it. Let us enrich ourselves spiritually as we may be new people of God, filled with Jesus’ love and compassion.

Lord,
with this lockdown, my plans for part-time work did not push through. I feel like you are telling me to stop running around in circles, frantically trying to “be productive”. Instead, I need to focus on the path you have already laid out for me and trust in Your provisions.

Lord, you have always invited us near you and yet we let worldly cares wear us down and keep us apart. You continue to rouse us from our sleep to be in communion with you and yet we seem to fall back on our own ways. Help us Lord to heed your call, wake us up from our stupor and bridge the distance between us – to keep watch and wait on you and serve you with all that we have been blessed with. In these dark times, let the lessons of your supreme sacrifice shine in our hearts, and give us strength and hope that in the midst of all the suffering and misery, our salvation will come. And as we wait for the darkness to lift, may we be as good stewards, bring light, comfort and relief to those around us. I trust in you Lord that you will heal me and the world.

I am lost. Honestly, I do not know who to believe anymore. Are you there God? Is there a God. My life has been fraught with tragedies. I ask, why? I need to know. They say you don’t know what His plans are. But I am just afraid.

Praying for you.

Oh my. When the lockdown initially took place, I felt so unsettled. Many important events canceled. My life halted so abruptly. I moped and dreaded the empty days. I couldn’t sleep well, the news was depressing. I didn’t pray as much as I should. I DISTANCED myself from Him, too. I was disappointed at Him.

Lord forgive my sins of omission and commission, so many times I allow my self to be carried away with worldly distractions instead of concentrating on my prayers but now in the midst of this pandemic I have been more focused on my prayers for the front liners, for the souls of the departed who were not given the last sacrament and for the safety of my family. Divine Mercy cover the whole world and empty yourself on us. Amen

This lockdown made me realize I also shutdown God from my life because I was too busy with many other things. When this lockdown happened, I was so shocked and tried to make sense of what was happening. I realized it gave me more time to spend with God. Praying for people I know who are sick with COVID, praying for myself and my family, and for all the frontliners battling to save lives. God is near, when we are lost, we only need to deepen our relationship with him. He hears us. He answers our prayers.

Lord, it is truly a rude awakening. The Lent and pandemic. A time for all of us to slow down, get close to you, w/ more time to pray and stay with our family. May we all continue doing all these even after the pandemic. Help us, Lord.
Please heal us, heal our land.

Yes, I wonder why the Lord has allowed this to happen. Why He is far from us. The, maybe it is us who have distanced ourselves from Him. He loves us & will always be there for us. But, He also gave us free will. He lives it up to us to be near Him or not.
Perhaps this pandemic is the result of our distancing ourselves from God. Perhaps all this technology & innovation has made us feel that we don’t need Him.
But, like a loving father, He is always there & will be with us if we come to Him.
Lord, I am frightened with what is happening & what the future brings, not only for myself, but for my family, relatives, friends & the rest of mankind. But, You are there for us. Please give us all the strength to come near to You again. To have faith & trust in You. To surrender ourselves to Your will as Jesus also surrendered Himself to You.
Amen

Thank you Lord for this opportunity to be still and silent. To reflect on What is happening and our response to it

This is truly rude awakening for all of us. In this crisis our hope and strength is only Him. He just want us to slow down and make communication with Him. May we all realize that whenever we feel down, hopeless and scared that is the time we are called by Him so He can carry us.

Lord, why cant we just trust in you? You already promised to save us. You already said that you will protect and guide us. Why am I still afraid? Help me to put my complete trust in you.

Dear Lord,

In the midst of hardship, uncertainty, and feeling alone, I pray for the grace to recognize your love. I know that you will never leave your faithful servants alone. Teach me to hope in, to trust in, and to wait on you.

Amen.

Dear Lord,

I tried to distance myself, and used the lockdown as an excuse to do so-as an excuse to focus on my own wellness…but you always found a way to draw me out and care for others beyond my home. I pray that you continue to be my compass in these trying times.

Dear Lord,
I am so sorry for all the times I was asleep or remiss when you needed me. I pray today to be awake and aware of the needs of others when they need it, and to be able to respond to them in their need. As much as as are given, we too need to give. I thank you for giving us your suffering and death on the cross, alone and hurting, abandoned by those who claimed to love you and still – you gave your life for all of us. Let this pandemic be kinder, let there be fewer and fewer deaths, Lord, even as we all change and learn from this painful experience. May all countries receive the Holy Spirit and become new people – less selfish, kinder, more generous and loving of this one world you gave us.
Just guide me, Lord, in all I do. Amen.

It is so fitting that this pandemic is happening during lent. This situation we are in gives more meaning to lent, more time to sit down, reflect, pray. If this pandemic did not happen – we would all be looking for ways to be distracted, jumping at the chance for an Easter holiday filled with pleasure & enjoyment. This is the first time in a decade or two that I’ve really sat down, pray and reflect, while trying to repair my relationship with you. Help me Lord as I continue to find my way back to you.

You long for us this much Lord. Like the son who was given freedom by his father, we have abused your grace.. in dissolute living.. we have wounded one another and the earth.. we have gone far Lord… we kept you at bay…

Yet at this moment, i know you alone are our salvation… you seem far in the many sights of death and abuse of some people… yet you are very palpable and near in the touch and presence of those who care and reach out…

Transform us Lord… i pray not that u take this away from us… but that u be our strength as we drink this cup… bring us to salvation Lord… grace us with a change of heart.. heal our bodies, our relationships… our earth… help us bring justice to those who hunger and those who have died by coming out of this crisis as a new people…

Thy will be done O Lord…. amen…

Dear Lord, thank you for being present in my life and making your presence felt strongly especially in these trying times. Help me understand what it is you want me to do and how i can change in order to be worthy of your mercy and love. Help me become a true servant to you and I lookr to you with fervent hope and faith that you will always lead me to your Father’s home. Amen

Dearest Lord,

I’m sorry I’ve been distant. I want to get close to You. You know I do, but I can’t seem to find You.

In the simple conversation with You earlier, I’m guessing it’s because I’ve chosen to close You off by closing myself off from the sadness, hardships, anger and frustration around me by my brothers and sisters. In closing myself off to them, I’m closing myself off to You.

I prayer for the strength to empathize with everyone and everything at this scary time; and, the trust that You will hold me when it may seem too heavy and You will lead me back home.

Amen.

Dear Lord, I am sorry to be so far removed from everything and from You. Thank you for being patient with me and with us, and for showing us what a true contemplative state for 40 days could be. I pray for healing from the COVID-19 pandemic, for strength for the healthcare professionals who may also contract the sickness, for reparations/remunerations from the Communist Party of (the People’s Republic of) China because of their willful withholding of information that could help keep COVID-19 from becoming the pandemic it is today, for governments across the world to take unified cooperative actions to take care of their constituents, and for all people to use this moment as a means to build a more just, more inclusive, more compassionate world. Thank you and amen.

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege you’ve given me of, not only surviving the pandemic as well as people could have, but also of calling me to be an instrument to your children. An instrument to reach out and accompany them in their struggle, to bring them to better mental well-being. That, in my imperfections and (lack of) skill, you nonetheless enable me to be affective, effective, loved, and appreciated with the efforts I’m doing. And that you’ve allowed me to be creative in my response to this volatile time so far, when so many have had it worse and are struggling to even cope with this immense reality at all.

The prayers and thoughts posted resonate w/me. I would also beg God to guide developments so that if the virus was maliciously released by entities scheming world do
omination, that Truth somehow be brought to light for the guidance of world leaders. For this i beg God so we may individually and responsibly live in our mundane daily choices and acts of voting, shopping, working to bring about just and lasting world Peace. Though we are prone to keep God out of our worldly and physical acts such as the apostles did in allowing sleep to overcome them in the Garden rather than take note of Christ’s warnings re the imminent playing out of His betrayal and Passion, i pray we be helped by God to heed the Truth at all times. Very human camaraderie may have blinded the disciples to His warning that one among them would betray Him – and so they separated from him to sleep rather than close in around Him, not even noting that one of them slipped away from them to accomplish betraying him. Did Our Lady of Fatima not ask specifically for Russia to be consecrated? Was it human embarrassment at so pointed a reference that kept such consecration unfulfilled for some time? Human compassion is a virtue, but reluctance to act because of human embarrassment ot fear of criticism doesn’t seem to be a virtue. Lord, guide us to discern when and where to cross lines and distinguish who drew the line – it is in seemingly small choices and mundane or worldly choices that our sight so easily can blur.

Thank you , Lord, for catching me as i was on a brink of a breakdown. I am so sorry for feeling frustrated and unappreciated. I found my strength in realizing how much more you have suffered for us.

In another time I might think that God has kept his distance. But not this time. He now is reminding us that He is always here by our side.
It is us who have been pre-occupied with so many worldly matters which has kept our distance from Him.
He has given us the choice but we had chosen badly.
But inspite our wrong choices He is still with us.
Showing to us through our fellowmen that there is good in our world still.
Thank you Lord for your constant love and mercy.

Dear Lord I know and I feel you are there-always without fail in whatever circumstance each one of us are in. Thank you. As Padre Pio always said Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry. Let us trust in Jesus and our Heavenly Mother and everything will be alright.
Jesus I abandon myself to you. Jesus you take over. Amen.

Dear Lord, what perfect time to be distant- –or was it us who were distant? I have prayed so hard, you know that… but i prayed for my “plans” forgetting You had a different Plan …
Now, you revealed this plan the hard & saddest way ~ what a time for my Children to lose their father to die at this time , perhaps not because of this Covid virus but why pick a time when even a decent wake is not possible ? When we can’t even be close to give a hug or hold each other’s hand to comfort…??? But, yes Lord I understand, not my will but yours be done > this is your plan, this is what is Best- I TRUST YOU COMPLETELY-YOU LOVE US REGARDLESS- THIS TOO IS OUR CUP THAT CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY & SO ALLOW US TO DRINK IT WITH THANKFUL HEARTS❤️❤️

Sometimes I feel you are distant. But are we not your way to be present to others. Yet, we distance ourselves from each other, from our very own self – so we can not heed your plea to be present for the others, esp., those who are so ignored in this crisis.
So I am angry at us; very angry esp to some of us. How far have we separated from you. While you wait for us to come near you: to listen to your voice, to get courage and strength from you, to seek your guidance.
I give you my anger and frustration. Draw us nearer to you.

I have to Stop look and Listen to what the Lord is saying ,lets use this time to do that to our family and friends and especially to the LORD ,

Lord, with what is happening now, I am searching for you. I need You. But I came to reflect that it was You looking for me. It is I who distanced myself from you, veering away from what You wanted of me and not following your Will. Now, I am alone from my family and friends; have neighbors but I cannot be with them. Lord, now You zeroed me in Your keeping allowing me to feel that seemingly distance from You, a chance to get closest to You. You have locked me down so that It could only You and me. Thank you, dear Lord!

Dear Lord, there were many times in my life when I felt you were so far away. There were times when I prayed for something, only for it to not be granted, and I have never felt more distant from You than during those times. I felt like You had abandoned me, and while people tried to reassure me that You are good, all the time, that You would be sad if I doubted You, but how can I when what I kept praying for was only met with silence?

It took me a while to realize that Your silence doesn’t mean that You’re not there, and that You are watching, all the time. Like in the garden of Gethsemane maybe You also felt that God the Father was so distant from You, and that gives me comfort, that You understand this pain of seeming separation. And maybe what I prayed for was not according to Your plan, or Your process, though it comes with suffering sometimes, always has a deeper meaning, and good will come out of it. And You have not abandoned me, and will never abandon me. The road to following you will never be truly easy, but it is a journey that I know now that I am not taking alone.

Dear Lord,

Beyond my anxiety and fear of this quarantine, it is Your way of halting and making me reflect on how to live a life lead to meeting you. Thank you for your grace.

“Be still for I am with you”. This lock down was like pressing the stop button…yes Lord, you need to reset all of us. And Lord it is raining right now. What an unusual event for Holy Thursday. I was praying for it to stop the forest fire in Tanay Lord..thank you Lord. You are not distancing from me at all. I feel you in the rain Lord.

Dear Lord,

Thank you very much for keeping my family safe from this disease that has already affected more than a million around the world. I know that like your disciples, I may still be unaware of the graveness of this disease because I am blessed enough to be in the comforts of a good home, with a stable job that will keep providing for me and my family’s needs. There are a lot of people who do not have the same privileges that I do, and I pray that You bless them with Your grace so that they continue to hold on to and have faith in You while they fight through these trying circumstances. Please heal the world of this disease and continue to protect us and all those who are most vulnerable. May we rise from this stronger and more united not only as a country but also, and more importantly, as a race.

Thank you. Amen.

Thank you, you have expressed what I also feel now.i

Lord, in the midst of this pandemic, You must be here somewhere, looking after Your children. Please forgive us. Take care of the people who have been struck by this pandemic. Look out for nurses and doctors fighting in the front lines, and with your wisdom, grant scientists the knowledge to put a curb to this pandemic. May they find some vaccine or cure that could heal the nation. You wonders are at work for the Earth is being healed, but in the midst of all this, some wonder where Your presence is. Perhaps everything happening in 2020 is a sign we need to listen carefully to. Perhaps we must listen carefully to You, and continue praying with everything happening. I wonder where You are in the midst of everything, but I know You have a plan. We pray for Your protection.

Amen.

Tbh, I feel alone and tired of everything happening. I am confused. I KNOW God is here with me, with us, but I can’t understand all the hardships. Why we have a difficult government. Why people hate. Why people lie. I’m tired. I’m tired. I’m tired.

Jym, I prayed for you. I asked my guardian angel to help your guardian angel to uplift you. God bless you, have faith. Keep going.

Be still. Be silent. Feel and listen for He is amongst us. We were all not really listening before. but now we have time. I pray for your enlightenment. Keep the faith. His hand is on your shoulder

I pray with you and for you, Jym. This may be a difficult time but know that this too shall pass. We may not understand why it is happening now but it will be revealed to us after we have all survived this. So keep the faith and hold on to God’s promises that in our weakness, He is our strength. I pray for God’s comfort especially at times when you feel heavily burdened and tired.

In Jesus’ name……

Amen

Excuses. I have made many–in not being able to do one thing or the other, in doing this or that or otherwise. Excuses because, human. Yet, in this most trying time we all share now, I no longer have an excuse to turn away from what is essential–family, time, love and above all God, the source of all things I mentioned.

He has always been present and He meets me wherever I am, gladly. Thank you Lord for the grace to pray, to be grateful, to be more patient.

Sometimes, I ask why You or I seemed distant from each other. I have prayed for several months for an important intention, and yet, You haven’t granted my request.

Let me listen yo your silence more fervently that I may hear Your word and decipher Your plan for me.

Allow me to be closer to You and be guided by You.

In Your time…

Really so easy to feel the Your nearness, my Lord, as I am one of those that is not in the darkest moment of my life that many are in right now. I pray that as I relish the peace of your loving and merciful presence, that You give me the grace to see clearly Your mission for me so that I may be able to share the same peace and consolation to others who are in most need of it now and in the future.

Lord, you have been my closed friend with your Mother , you know my thoughts as they all generated from you. Everything in me are from you, I could not do anything without you or your mother telling me to do or move. Sometimes I’m surprised of the things I do or say but I know those are the things you want me to impart to others for them to realize what you want them to know & do. O Lord, I’m just a medium of you desire for all of us, the good you want to spread to all of us. Thanks Lord, for picking me to be an instrument of your love for others. Here I am Lord.

3We may think that the Lord kept His distance from us with what’s going on around us, but I would like to believe that it is US who kept distance from the Lord. Prior to this pandemic, the world tells us that we can do whatever we want, and that God doesn’t exist. I think that this pandemic was caused by man’s insatiable greed. By us distancing from the Lord, we think that we are in control, but that as we all know, that is not the case. This pandemic reminded us that God is the one in control. Now, in spite of all of this, God is always with us, He is at work with all of us. Even at this point that most of us are suffering, directly or indirectly, the from the effects of this pandemic, our suffering won’t be in vain should we only choose to offer these to the Lord, so that He will ‘convert’ those sufferings into periods of grace.

For some reason, I welcome the lockdown, the “halting” of the world. I feel that it is like an extended retreat. I have moments of “anxiety attack”, but more moments of appreciation of the essentials in life. And yes, to answer the question above, God is right here, at the center of all of this, and that is what matters most. What is perhaps lacking is being a face of this merciful and gracious God to others, to each other.
And maybe, until we learn to be so, this virus may continue to spread, the lockdown may continue to extend. God bless and work through us!

Dear Lord, two weeks before Lent you found a way to come near me. My husband, a frontliner, faced the possibility of being COVID (+) and consequently, all of us in the household. He was admitted and alone. My fear, anxiety and anger consumed me but fortunately, you lead me to pray and offer up all these things. You graced us with a miracle and he is now continuing his mission to care for his patients with greater competence, compassion and empathy. I love you Lord. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for not keeping your distance. We need you near.

God be praised for His work in you! May the Lord bless and keep you, your husband, and the entire family always!

God is in us, with us, all around us! We forget often but here comes a chance to make this our default mindset.

Dear Lord,
My faith is telling me to see you in every circumstances of my life, and i believe you are with me/ us especially at this moment of uncertainty. My fear turned into trust and doubt to deep faith as I hold on to your promise You will be with us to the end of time. Thank you for allowing me to see where I am now and how I distance myself from you because of my weaknesses and sins, yet you continue to love me as I am just like your disciples. Lord, have mercy!amen

The more I pray, Lord, I more I feel calm when the world seems to be turning upside down. Thank you for making me feel that everything will be alright. Thank you for inviting me to trust in you more and more as the days go by; for letting me feel that You are in control.

Sometimes, I ask myself why have you not sent us a miracle yet to stop Covid19. Or please tell us what to do to stop it. Or please be active on changing the hearts of the people to go back to faith. But at the same time, in the last few weeks being on lockdown, you have shown me in so many ways that you are with me. Especially when D was sick. Looking back, I don’t think I would have survived that if you have not carried me the whole time. In the many people that you sent to me whenever I had my panic attacks, those are clear signs of your presence.
It is I who needs to change. I need to let go and let you take control. Because my whole life you have always been there, walking beside me, holding my hand and in my darkest hours, carrying me.

I feel you. Sending my virtual hugs to you B and D.

It is quite sad that it had to take a pandemic for the world to slow down and acknowledge your presence O Lord. May we all find you Jesus in this Holy Week. May we cling to you and finally realize that you are what we need even without this pandemic. That in you is love and mercy and peace. Thank you Lord for not abandoning us. May this Holy Week be fruitful and blessed for each one of us Christians. Amen.

Dear Lord, how can we doubt Your presence? Even with this, You show us there is a greater Power. It is not our plans, our time. It is Yours, and we merely have to believe that the “same God who led us in will lead us out.” For You also said “For I know the plans I have for you, plans… not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” Strengthen us in faith in that hope.

You have always blessed ne with victories, even as I have endured darkness. You have always shown me that even as I cannot see anything before me, I just need to know that as I step forward, You are there beside me, You are there in front of me. How can O not believe?

Strengthen us in faith as a people, Lord! Take our little faith and give us hope!

You seem to be just watching as mankind struggles to stop the pandemic. Yet you come to each individual who cries out for help.

Dear God, Thank you for inviting me to be kind, to be always kind and for reminding me that kindness is better than being right. Enable to be more compassionate, more forgiving and to be a faithful disciple of yours. My self-righteousness makes me feel alone and isolated from the people whom I love. I am very sorry.

Lord, thank You for being with us during this difficult time. I see You in the day, when the sun shines brightly in the clear blue sky. I hear You in the silence of the streets, in the chirping of the birds in our garden. I feel Your kindness in the strangers that still manage to smile despite everything that is happening. I feel Your love because my family still manages to be comfortable during this time.

I feel You working on every person, in the health care workers who tirelessly work, the government and private organizations and people who support those who are less fortunate, in scientists, researchers and innovators who are pooling their resources to provide supplies and equipment needed to fight this virus. I feel You working on me as I myself manage to help other in need, no matter how small.

Thank You for showing us that there is hope, there is kindness, and there is beauty in this world. Thank You for reminding us that You are with us, and that You will not abandon us.

Dear Lord,
I know that You are within us in all of this pandemic crisis that we are into. It is so hard not to fear and be anxious what lies ahead of us. I am strongly holding on to my faith in You because I know that after all these, Your Will is what matters still. Your Will shall always be done. Continue to help calm our hearts that despite this crisis, our true character of helping out and being one with those in need is what should matter, that being better as a human being is what should persist and not to be eaten of our fear and anxiety that we neglect and hesitate to help because we fear of running out of funds or even maybe of getting emptied. It is during these times that we should remember of what was once written in the Bible about the woman who was left with just a penny but still gave it out even if it was just the only wealth she had left. I offer You Lord all these. Forgive me for my fears. Take this all away from me that I may serve You better. Because true wealth is measured with how I enrich myself spiritually and not materially. Thank You for saving me from my sins. I love You..

I feel a lot of things Lord. Primarily helpless during this time and doubting if what I am doing to help is enough. At the same time I am immensely thankful for your continued protection for me, my family and friends. But I know that many more are suffering, are sick and have died. And while in my simple mind the solution to all this is for COVID 19 to go away, I know Your ways are different from ours. So I wait in faith, increasing my trust that somehow things will turn out fine because You know best. I know you are listening to our prayers Lord and You never fail to respond. The response might just not be to our liking so I add another prayer for acceptance of Your will.

With the turn of events during this so-called extraordinary time, I recall my visits to the Blessed Sacrament before the ECQ. There were instances when I could not get a clear message from the Lord as I was speaking with him during my mental prayer. The vision was hazy and I felt uneasy at times. But the “haziness” is slowly clearing up now. I guess I am (or we are) undergoing a period of cleansing and purification. I cannot help but look forward to Easter (literally on April 12 and figuratively when the pandemic is over), a season of hope and renewal.

The following prayer of St. Teresa of Avila has become more meaningful to me during these challenging days: “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.”

During this time of crisis I thought i never do something for the good of others. Im supposed to be quarantined. But when i came across with this article of spiritually journeying the dying in Italy and France, i immediately offered myself to be with them in those hours of loneliness, begging for God’s mercy and the anxiety of leaving. I stopped only when asthma attacked me on the 5th day of my journey. But nevertheless i had a wonderful experience in that journey. I knew of a certain Antonio Tenaglia who was once a Catholic amd followers of Sto Padre Pio and turned Buddhist when his wife died early on their married life but he professed back to faith with the help of Sto Padre Pio before he died. Then i learned French. Se repentir. Dieu t’aime. (Repent. God loves you)… around 8 of them in that hall were healed. Along with that experience i also ask God to send people who have nothing to eat and just this morning the Lord sent us family. Oh my Lord who is soooo alive answered my prayers. Though we’re distanced in this world but never in God’s space and time. Thank You Lord.

Lord, You have let us feel in numerous times You are near. With the people who strive to work and help those in need; the lines my friends and family maintain; my continuous good health and safety, You provided for me, even though I remain inside the four walls of my room. You brought me comfort, even in times of my anxiety and fear.

Yet, I am the one who draws away, fearing for the worst. The helplessness and loneliness sometimes become so unbearable. The demons inside my head become louder, and I break away from Your embrace because I feel I am too far beyond saving. I don’t want to sully you with my presence. That I am too tired to fight that we deserve to be saved or deserve Your goodness.

There is so much evil and darkness in this world. Let us not succumb to its darkness and fix our eyes on the light of Your hope. Let us feel even more Your love, especially the sick and the lonely, the weary, the depressed, the anxious, those who have their demons inside them. May we never forget that You love us and You are always ahead of us.

Lots of things I may not understand. Certainly, times like these have proven lots we cannot control. But what I am certain of is GOD IS IN CONTROL. This I believe and this I will continue to profess, moreso in this climate of pandemic. He alone can make something good come out of something bleak —even when we lose faith in humanity all its weaknesses.
Keep the faith and do as He tells us to do for He is faithful.

Lord, while we are all forced to stillness, I feel you working actively to right so many things that are wrong in the world. I lift everything up to you and as I do my best to remain quiet and still, and trust that you know what is best for your creation.

I know You have never left us. You have always been here with us. It is man, your creation who have abused the workd and played god. I believe when the right time comes You will erase all the coronavirus and we will start a new life. I believe in You. Youare here and i love you Lord.

With this pandemic that’s happening all throughout the world – where is God? God is among us – this I now realize. God is the doctor who though afraid faces and treats patients risking his life ; God is that person packing goods to give away to the needy; God is the priest who says mass even to an empty church ; God is among us ; God is with us. When times are good everybody is so engrossed making their own living attending to more “important “ things that we do not have time to appreciate these little things. God wants me to see and experience Him now . Now I do not work. Now I’m not engrossed in everyday things. Now I have the time to see things as they are. Now I can see God . He is among us . God is in every being sacrificing himself for the other. God is love . Thank you My God for showing me yourself . You answered my prayer .

How can I not judge myself, Lord, when it is I who has distanced myself, time and again?
Lord, remind me always and often that you are near, that my Shepherd will guide me thru the difficult and sad times, will pick me up when I straggle, and carry me home.
And also, please grant that I can be patient with others who are straggling too. Let me not judge them, for they are your flock too. Let me be grateful, that you are with us, even when you seem to have distanced Yourself from me.
Let me stop judging myself too…

Sometimes I don’t see it, but when I look back and really hard, I see how You have worked your miracles for Your people. I just wished You were less distant from me personally. Or pull me back when I have kept my distance far from you.

It is hard to believe that a God of goodness would allow this kind of suffering in the world. Maybe because He is a quiet God? It takes faith, and yes, maybe even an irrational stubborness to believe through it all.

The Lord is definitely with us. He walks among us through the many people who cared enough to share their resources to help the needy and the healthcare workers, through the healthcare workers who courageously attended to those infected, through the many people who spend days in silent prayer for the afflicted and for those who died. We count the daily blessings of food, good health, family prayer time, and the inspirational quotes and messages being shared.

With this pandemic that’s happening all throughout the world – where is God? God is among us – this I now realize. God is the doctor who though afraid faces and treats patients risking his life ; God is that person packing goods to give away to the needy; God is the priest who says mass even to an empty church ; God is among us ; God is with us. When times are good everybody is so engrossed making their own living attending to more “important “ things that we do not have time to appreciate these little things. God wants me to see and experience Him now . Now I do not work. Now I’m not engrossed in everyday things. Now I have the time to see things as they are. Now I can see God . He is among us . God is in every being sacrificing himself for the other. God is love . Thank you My God for showing me yourself . You answered my prayer .

No you’re not rude, Lord. You allowed this to happen for a purpose – that we may have the opportunity to look into our hearts. Just like a father who is admonishing his child for wrong attitude and leaves him in silence that he may reflect on his wrong ways, you distance yourself. Bless us Lord that we don’t ignore this opportunity and so that we heed your admonition. For evil is self-defeating and only in goodness do we come close to our purpose in this life. Heal our hearts of rudeness.

Dearest Lord,

I know You are always with me. How I wish I could be or am with You too in your suffering . My failing is in recognizing that You are always with me , that You will always catch me therefore I sometimes take you for granted. I am truly sorry.

Some people feel that God is nowhere to be found now. Having been is dire situations, like in Footprints in the Sand, He is there. He knows our anguish and is sharing in our anxieties and fears. He gives me hope. He did not endure all of this to leave us. He commiserates. I like to think that He is with the people who are alone and dying to help them transition to their eternal lives with Him. I think that He was a high functioning introvert; He needed to retreat into himself to be energized but He would come out of it and minister to His disciples and the masses.

Dear LORD JESUS, This pandemic and ECQ has indeed totally changed the world and – I sincerely pray – for the Better. We are all reminded that “man is not GOD” (even if many of us in the recent past may have felt otherwise) and that “man/I am NOTHING WITHOUT YOU (AMEN)”. Thank you for “forcing” me to rekindle my “child-like FAITH in you” and to recall what I remember from my University days – “That GOD is GOOD, we know. “How” GOD is good, we will never know.”
Being “deprived” of so many material conveniences (that I used to take for granted) has also shown me that I already have what I NEED (YOU, my family, my friends, my Faith) and that I was too focused simply on “what I want.” THANK YOU, Dear JESUS for these realizations and please transform my life from this day onward.

Daily prayer (how short or long) of talking to Jesus is having Him nearby. He maybe quiet at times but His loving presence is always there. He is never distant.
I pray that all of us would learn n continue to pray or to quiet ourselves to connect to Jesus everyday esp after this pandemic.

Dear Lord,

I am ashamed and sorrowful. There is no one to blame for what is happening now but ourselves. Oh how we have become a destructive virus, destroying our bodies, abusing your creation, polluting our souls. We are the most dangerous virus and we have contaminated our neighbors, the whole world, our earth.

Forgive us Lord and grant us the grace to true and deep and sustained transformation. Amen

In my mind, I know my dear Lord you are near. Do I sense you? Perhaps I have not been paying attention to you. In the midst of this crisis, you have given me so much to be thankful for. Simple pleasures of peace and quiet from the hassle and buzzle of daily routine and relief from never ending things that have to be done, people constantly ver your shoulder, asking, checking ….and so much stress. I cherish this time although I know it is peace and quiet paid at a high price of human suffering and death. In this time of quiet, I rest my soul. In you my lord I find rest.

Lord, i know that everything happens for a reason. Although we might not truly understand it, please give us the strength to deepen our faith and trust in you. May this give us the opportunity to deepen our relationship with you, Lord and help us to become a better person to others. Give me the courage to love more even to those we know are too difficult to love. Help me to be more sensitive to the needs of others. I trust You Lord and I love You, Amen?

Reading through the comments made me cry. The various emotions, concerns, random thoughts and plea for God’s protection are all cries for help. Feel grateful and blessed but moments of weakness make me helpless and sometimes angry. Thank you for the reflections that dig deeper into our innermost being andcfor allowing us to release pent up emotions. God bless us all.

I know the Lord is present now. He never leaves us to handle or go through this pandemic alone. He is watching over us. I believe a miracle is about to happen. I continue to trust in the Lord!

Dear Lord,

I am beyond blessed. During this pandemic, I have realized how blessed I am. I always thank you for everything that is happening in my life. Even with this pandemic, it doesn’t hinder me to enjoy life with my family. You really planned ahead for my life. You allow my husband go home from his onboard duty right on time before lockdown happened. I love you, My God! There is no reason for me to doubt in You. You are my everything, Oh Lord!

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
IT WAS THEN THAT I CARRIED YOU.”

beautiful!

Oh Lord God, we know you are always with us. It is us, who is not there for you. Most of the time, we seek you when we need you, when we are confused, depressed, and feeling down. But when we are living in the good times, we sometimes fail to recognize Your hand in our life. Now, that this pandemic has forcefully distanced You from us, because we are not allowed to be with You in the Holy Mass, we realize how we have taken you for granted, and we are sorry. But as one priest said, “Maybe this is all for the best, so that we can feel how it is to be separated from You, that our longing for You, will be great.”
Never permit us to be separated from You, Lord God. AMEN.

I realized how needs brought about by this pandemic could have been responded and addressed easily when in the first place, even before this pandemic, we have not “distanced” ourselves from one another. The buzz word “social distancing” has clearly exposed how we have been very far and separate from each other. How we have put certain social structures that are distancing us from one another! Structures are meant to provide order, peace and meaning for everyone. But we have been very self-centered in generating and maintaining these kinds of structures, we have been looking after our own comforts and convenience. Because of these structures, Your grace and blessings cannot trickle down, cannot be felt and experienced by those who are at the margins. We have really forgotten to be companions to one another. But You have Your ways really of making things right- a lot of people are reaching out and closing the distance now. Being genuine companions to many. This is You working in each one of us

A lot of the news we see for the past weeks can make people wonder “where’s God?”. Maybe I’d feel the same if I were not in a community. But because I’ve built a relationship with the Lord, I knew that HE is always near and has always a great purpose for every suffering we experience, no matter how unfathominable it is. I have faith that all these shall pass and God will be victorious. I pray that God continue to guide my heart.

Lord, Im afraid that you will also find me asleep after your return. I oray that I will be awake after you have tended to our health workers, our police and soldiers and all of those who are keeping our nation and the world in order in this chaos we are dealing with. Help me God to be patient for your return. Help me to be supportive also. To realise everyones sorrow and understand them. Help me to be mindful and give help when needed and have the strength to share what I have to help.
Lord I will be awake for your return
Amen

Lord, Jesus, I hear you loud and clear! I thank you for reminding me that all that we are, and that we “have” , and that we will ever be, are not ours but Yours. Teach us to share these blessings with all those we encounter, especially with those that need them most. So that the sufferings of all those that have gone ahead, the frontliners, and all the other victims of this pandemic may not be in vain. Teach us to be compassionate, to love unconditionally and to follow your ways always.Amen

Lord, I feel that you are so near to me, watching over me, watching me, and waiting for me to be the one to go to you. To go back to you..Indeed, this difficult time we are facing has made me realize that you are ever present in our lives. I may not understand all that is happening…guide me to completely put my trust in you and to depend on you.

Lord, in this time of isolation, quiet, and slowing down in my life, I feel that You are nearer to me but it is I who have the difficulty of being still, letting this barrier between us come crashing down, and finally opening my heart and mind to Your voice. I have this nagging feeling that this is probably because I am afraid of what I am going to find out, especially if the truth You want to speak to me is far from the expectations and thoughts I already have of the world and myself, and I am afraid of feeling uncomfortable again in Your presence. Lord, please help me in my difficulty and struggle. Break this barrier between us and I permit You to speak louder and with more clarity because the ears of my heart are a little deaf probably because it’s full of wax. Knock me out of my distractions that keep my soul restless, if You need to. I am weak, Lord, but I trust that You know what works for me better than I do.

Dear Lord Almighty, this situation is scary, not knowing what to do or where to go, but no matter what, You want us to remain still. Lord, thank You that I am with family, others are not. I pray for all those in need. The frontliners, those battling with Covid, all those who are lost. Father have mercy on all of us.

Lord thank you for showing your face and letting your presence felt in good times and in bad. I may push you away sometimes when I choose to do something not according to your will- but please don’t give up on me. I see you, I know you are there. I feel you even more now. Thank you for always surrounding me with people who represent your image and likeness. I pray that I in the years to come, I will spend less time “sleeping” and more time being with you and doing your will. May I spend living everyday doing your will, being with you, being present. I love you

I cannot help but feel totally blessed despite the times. While many worry about where to get their next meal and how to feed their family, we press on with out lives with very minimal inconvenience. What concerns me is what this situation can teach me and my family about how we should be living, to lead meaningful lives and to be of service to others.

Amidst everything happening now, I keep my faith and believe that God is in all of these things. I may not understand how this pandemic will end, what will it cost, how long will it last, but I know that God has got all of us in this difficult time. If there’s one thing I hold on to, it’s that faith,God’s promises. He has been with me many times, in the past years, winning my battles for and with me, big or small. Thus, I know and I truly believe that He has everything taken cared of. It doesn’t matter whether I understand or not. I just know He’s here.

Lord

Thank you for protecting us in this pandemic situation. Thank you for allowing me to be with my family the people that matters during our quarantine. Thank you for blessing us with some financial cushion. We may have lost our jobs and source of income but we know you will help us be able to find a way to use our talents and gifts to recover, sustain our needs at the same time do meaningful work to be of help to others in need. May we be surrounded by people who truly supports us and be able to help others as well to rise above.

My dear Lord, I feel that you are with us at all times, at all circumstances…
I have trust in you.

Lord, I am speaking from a place of privileged – but thank you that I am able to spend quality time with family during this ECQ. Thank you that I still able to receive salary from my company despite the ECQ, and still able to survive during this trying times. Thank you that I am still able to help others in my small way during this ECQ. I pray that despite social distancing, may we won’t forget solidarity, compassion and empathy to one another even with differing opinions. Teach us not to be judgemental and inconsiderate, and worse, indifferent to one another. Thank you for allowing me to deepen my relationship with You during this ECQ. For me, this is not a “rude awakening”, rather a “sudden, but timely realization” that we should have not focused on the world but to the basics…Ourselves, our family, and You, Lord.

I believe that God is near and always has our backs. This pandemic is a reset button for us to go back to what matters most – to nurture our relationship with HIM. The lost of loved ones and our means of livelihood is a process to strengthen our faith in HIM. All these shall pass. I trust in my God. Fill us with YOUR presence and keep us in YOUR mercy always.

Yes Jesus seems so far away, seemingly oblivious of what mankind is going through. It takes deep faith to realize that he is with us.
I have not been a good Catholic for many years. But now i am saying the rosary every night, making sure I participate in the 8am Jescom masses. And now i am in this Retreat, quieting my soul and my mind.
I am taking that as a sign that Jesus loves me and he always will.

The Lord is near me, he is with me, in the midst of the whirlwind that is the pandemic. He is hear, and nowhere am I but here, and so alive!

Jesus I know you are near, especially in this time of my life and in oir situation right now. Its truly an awakening…a call..a wake up call to feel and see your presence amidst all these events. For me it is a pleasure to be in touch in you again. I am too busy before this crisis but as of now I value the time of praising and recognizing you in my life that I miss way back then. Although I have fear but I do believe we can surpass this challenge in our life with a new vision and perspective in life, knowing and putting you in the center of my/ our life.

In the midst of COVID19, we see God’s hand working through frontliners who risk their health and lives to help and through nameless people who help in any way they can from their homes.
In our other troubles/ trials, may we also see and trust that God is working and that we may submit and say “Lord you take over..”

I feel lost, Lord.
Help me find myself.
Like the disciples at Gethsemane, who suddenly found “their world upside down”,
Help me make sense of what is happening deep within in me.
In the deep recesses of my heart that I fear fathoming.

Lord Jesus, I believe You are in control of our lives.
You know why this pandemic is happening…
Increase our faith in you, that everything will turn out well..that at the end of the day, we will change our sinful ways & shortcomings and weaknesses & do Your will… this I pray. Jesus have mercy have mercy have mercy, please heal our land and the whole world amen.?

Lord, I know I am speaking from a place of privilege – but thank you that I am able to spend quality time with family during this ECQ. Thank you that I have work that keeps me busy and puts food on the table. Thank you that I am able to help others. Thank you for allowing me to deepen my relationship with you during this ECQ. I pray that despite social distancing, all of us won’t forget social solidarity and compassion to one another even with differing political views.

Dear Lord. Thank you for your protection. Thank you for keeping us safe. Thank you that despite whatever financial loss we may have during this time, we are still better off than others. I know you will provide. Help me find work and a new passion after all this. Help my husband also feel the need to find something more creative and inspiring to do after all this.

Why is it that through all this I feel You are so far away? Why is my prayer life a dessert now? Lord I try. I try. I ask to feel YOU and know YOU even more so now.

It’s as if time stood still. The most important COMMODITY in this world . TIME…is now available for all of us.God gave us all 24 hours a day. The same for everyone. The rich and the poor, of different backgrounds, religion and nationality. Before the Pandemic, everyone seems to be in a hurry to finish a goal, a project, an assignment, a task, and the list goes on. Then suddenly we are put in a place where we are always away from. HOME It maybe a physical place for some, but it is also a metaphor of ourselves who we have been seeking for for quite awhile now or maybe our whole lives. Who am I?
I AM A HUMAN BEING. I AM NOT A HUMAN DOING.
I am not defined by my accomplishments, my projects, my net worth. I do not have to prove anything from anyone. I am a Human being created in HIS image and LIKENESS. He created me for a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is muddled in my mind because of fears and insecurities. But His love continues to shine through me and redirects me to where I should go.
Lord, help me to use this time to re-assess my mission in life. YOU ARE MY TRUE NORTH. MY ANCHOR.

Dear GOD, you know how important to me is my work: to help me pay the tuition fee of my son, to pay the bills, to pay the debt. You know that I never spend anything unimportant but because of this pandemic/ lockdown, work is gone; no means of earning . This was the very first thing I got anxious about; it made me “panicked” inside. After 3 weeks of ECQ, I’m also thinking now what you want to happen to us; to me and to my son? To my mother?
I pray to you dear GOD that if this lockdown made me more spiritually healthy , then so be it. May I be able to continue drawing myself closer to you dear GOD and with you, may I build this self confidence that you will not forsake us; nor abandon us.

I pray for our families’ continued protection; for relations, friends and those who have passed on, seriously ill, confined in hospitals because of Covid 19 in isolation.

Lord Jesus Christ, I know very well that you are in my life every moment that I breathe. I am asking for your mercy to grant me the everlasting happiness that I am wanting all my life. Amen.

Yes Lord, I feel you are nearer to us now in the midst of the uncertainty and suffering. Though we all pray for this pandemic to soon be over, I thank you still for this awakening that has helped us to look inward and rediscover what matters most.. kindness and compassion, generosity and faith. Help us to keep hoping in You.

Is it possible for the Lord to be with us and yet maintain a certain distance? He has allowed for this current pandemic to happen, changing everyone’s lives. Although things are uncertain and beyond our control, this same situation has also enabled me to experience Him through others. He is silent but He is here.

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