Hope is More Contagious Than Fear
“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
The power of hope over fear is foundational to our Catholic faith! Which are you spreading? Which one are you fueling? How can you have a sense of humor about the otherwise unnerving situation we are all in without mocking people who are just trying to keep it together?
When the next few weeks or months are over, we pray our world will be a different place. Our communities could be tighter, our marriages could be stronger, our relationships with our children can be something we have always dreamed of, but only if we choose hope over fear and only if we choose intentional relationships over constant media consumption and distraction.
The word quarantine comes from quarantino, a variant of the Venetian Italian “quaranta giorni,” meaning “forty days.” It’s incredible that for much of the world (and especially Italy) this all started ramping up around Ash Wednesday. The beginning of the 40 Days…
Forty days. This could have been any time of the year, but it has fallen during the 40 days of Lent, which for hundreds of years has been our spiritual quarantine that prepares us for the graces of Easter.
God has his eye on the Sparrow. Believe that. Share that hope. Be that hope, for hope is more contagious than fear. Make the most of your physical and spiritual quarantine, so that when Easter comes you are made anew.
