During the Spanish Civil War, St Josemaria Escriva and the early members of Opus Dei had to curtail their external apostolic activity while they were in hiding. Rather than get discouraged or risk that the fire of their spiritual life die out, he encouraged those with him to pray for an end to the war, to use their time well, and to take advantage of the circumstances to deepen in their relationship with God. In this way, the whole venture - their spiritual life and their apostolic activity - would continue 'growing on the inside'.
May it be so of us during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.
In the face of so much suffering, where the authentic development of our peoples is assessed, we experience the priestly prayer of Jesus: “That they may all be one”
The Lord asks us and, in the midst of our tempest, invites us to reawaken and put into practice that solidarity and hope capable of giving strength, support and meaning to these hours when everything seems to be floundering. The Lord awakens so as to reawaken and revive our Easter faith. We have an anchor: by his cross we have been saved. We have a rudder: by his cross we have been redeemed. We have a hope: by his cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing and no one can separate us from his redeeming love.
Pope Francis, Urbi et Orbi Eucharistic Blessing, 27 March 2020