by Dr. Jim Bryan, T.O. Carm.
All the turmoil, anger, and upset of two years in COVID lockdown brought family, work, daily lives, and even our way of worship and prayer to a new, different, and sometimes negative position regarding important areas dealing with our hearts, minds, and actions. Can it be? Did we miss something? Many actions, words, gestures, things that bring us to reconsider our entire lives, actions, and relationships, seemed to have happened during our time of ‘suspension’ from the reality we once knew. Entering the upside down equation, we were met with all kinds of WORDS. Some of them were soothing, some were angry, some arrogant, and others, seemed ridiculous. But the illness also challenged us to re-discern our own place in Christ during the acceleration of dissolve we all faced.
The time of the pandemic was ‘ripe’ for our witness as laity to the charisms of Carmel. We did look into ways to communicate with each other. We found new ways to address stress, duress, and even, ambivalence.
However, we might have done more, done better. What a chance to welcome the tired and the sick! What an opportunity to catechize on the Scapular, and its use! What an opportunity to invite seekers and inquirers to join us in an ‘on-line’ rosary, or to learn more about the Breviary, or even each other.
While total figures are not released, even our countywide newspapers mentioned the folks who were ‘holed up’ and venturing out only for necessary supplies. Sadly, not all people could get to the stores, and much irritation was expressed by drivers, customers, and sometimes the very elderly!
Could we have been kinder, more alert to the need? Could we have been the Good Samaritan? Could we have been mediator in family arguments on politics, or solutions?
Of course, the answer is yes, we certainly could. Our charisms are gifts. But we must realize and act on using those gifts. As the time wore on the separation increased and people grew further and further apart. Name calling, crude language, just plain meanness seemed to drown out what Jesus would expect of us. Living in a small city after Houston and Chicago I wondered what the city must have felt like to a lonely elderly Isolated or retired community member. I can’t help but wonder how many goodbyes were not said, or how many people were pushed out of a hospital room, told there could be no farewell, no burial, only a closed casket. We saw nurses cry, doctors weary. Here, we were no longer allowed to visit, pray, or bring the Sacrament to the elderly, or sick.
Think of what we did not do. Think of the task of being contemplatives in the world. What did Jesus call us to do? Did we pass up (possibly) opportunity? A blessing? Did we miss a brother or sister? Did we not see?
Is it possible we missed the most important thing Jesus was trying to show us?