Believing in and Trusting the Lord Jesus!

Today's first reading, Acts 16: 22-34, recounts the attack on Paul and Silas, who were beaten with rods and thrown into the "innermost cell" of the prison and their feet secured to a stake.  Around midnight Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to the Lord when suddenly a severe earthquake shakes the foundation of the jail. "All the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose."   Awakened, the jailer thought that everyone escaped and was about to  kill himself when Paul shouted: "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."  The jailer rushed  in to where Paul and Silas were and said: "'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.'"   

What do you, what do I do, when things go terribly wrong?  Pray and sing hymns to the Lord? Paul and Silas were totally into God, so to speak!  They certainly were not feeling sorry for  themselves and, in no way, took on the victim role.  Their faith in God remained unshaken!  They remained focused on Jesus and His resurrection; they faced their sufferings as Jesus Himself faced the crucifixion, believing in the Father's power over evil!  "All the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose."

What about us?  Right now, during this coronavirus crisis and the restrictions imposed upon us, do we find a reason to praise and give thanks to God?  Are we reaching out to the Lord for strength to endure and to grow in our faith and trust? Do we believe that God is seeing us through this crisis and that we will come through this as stronger individuals, our faith and trust unshaken? Or are we blistering mad because we cannot do what we would like to be doing and are we into seeking someone or something to blame?   If we choose to remain focused on Jesus and believe in His Presence among us, we will witness to the fact that God takes us by the hand and walks with us through this maze.  Furthermore, the door of our hearts will remain open to grace and the chains of hopelessness and frustration will not have a grip on us.