While standing in the midst of the trees, on a cool brisk fall morning in September, our parish family had the chance to gather outside on our beautiful property for my first outdoor Divine Liturgy as a parish priest. God truly blessed us with the perfect day, and even provided some “Divine Lighting”, with the sun rays creeping through the trees and shining on the Holy Gifts during the Anaphora. Coupled with the tears of joy that came from those who had communion for the first time since March, the first full choir we have had in months, and the wonderful socially distanced picnic we had after partaking of the Body and Blood of God…it was truly a Sunday to remember (at least for this simple village priest).
As I stood there during the Little Entrance, I began to take in all of the beauty that surrounded us, while at the same time remembering all of the difficulties that 2020 has given us. I was reminded about a children’s book called “I Pray Today”, which depicts a little girl who talks about her daily routine and how she says the prayer “Lord Have Mercy” at certain points during the day. When she wakes up, she looks out the window and gives thanks to God for the new day by saying “Lord Have Mercy.” When she has her breakfast, she ends it by saying “Lord Have Mercy.” Even when things don’t go well in her day, like when she falls and skins her knee while playing, or when someone steals her toy, she still says that same prayer: “Lord Have Mercy.”
This past Sunday, I thought about all of the negative aspects that this Pandemic has brought in our lives: The limited attendance at services, Pascha and Holy Week at home, challenges from homeschooling, difficulty getting to the stores, the toilet paper shortage (remember that nightmare?!) and the fact that everything about this virus was unknown…which caused us to pause when we wanted to hug a loved one or a family member. In each of these instances (and numerous others), if we had the right frame of mind, our responses echoed those words of the child in the book during difficult moments: “Lord Have Mercy”. In that one prayer, we humble ourselves…we deny ourselves as our Lord tells us to do…and we put our lives completely in His hands.
With all of the negativity swirling around our society, from election/political battles, to varying responses to public health, to social justice issues…it was nice to have a pause during the outdoor Liturgy and reflect on some of the positive things that have come from the Pandemic. I have heard numerous stories of feuding families who set aside their small differences to come together…realizing that their love runs deeper than petty arguments. I have heard stories of children who had lost touch with their parents before the lockdown…now reunited. With parents more homebound, families are starting to have meals together again as they talk about their days. Prayer life at home has increased for many. Prayerful reading has become a wonderful distraction from the chaos of the world. Not taking the Eucharist for granted…and approaching with true faith and love (and in many cases tears) has become a new norm. So many wonderful blessings to which are response is the same…steeped in humility and gratitude: “Lord Have Mercy.”
May we all be continually reminded of His love and care for us, not just during one Divine Liturgy, but throughout all of the days of our life!