John 16:20
"You will grieve but your grief will become joy."
The last couple of months have had a lot of pain. Some of have lost loved ones, others have had to battle sickness head on. A lot of folks have lost jobs, cancelled plans, and faced financial ruin. And of course, we've all been separated from our church communities, those places we call home where we receive the sacraments and are connected with God and each other. For me, even though I have been able to receive sacraments regularly, I still feel the sting of spending Sundays in an empty church that should be full of life and joy.
When I look around and see how a lot of people react to this pandemic, I see a lot of despair, a lot of hopelessness. This is where the person of Jesus is totally countercultural. If we keep Christ at the center of our lives, suffering has a meaning that it didn't have before. We live not only through suffering, but we can also live suffering with greater intensity and depth because we know that it will be transformed into something beautiful. Jesus conquered not just in history but each day in our lives.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Zach Brasseur, Pastoral year at St. Timothy
Home parish: St. Paul's, St. Petersburg
Did you know...
Coronavirus lockdown hobbies include birdwatching, learning Latin, and making the perfect espresso.
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
