Getting Back Up: Pandemic Stories

Sr. Margaret Kerry, FSP, ponders examples of resilience and hope during the pandemic of the past year.

Occasionally I access the New York Times. “Three American Mothers on the Brink” got my attention. The journalist began following three moms who kept logs of their time throughout the pandemic. Their stories are ones of chaos and resilience, resentment and persistence, and of course, hope. In other words: what it means to be a mother. 

The Washington Post also shared stories of lost time and disconnected lives. 

A DJ who plays to an empty house. The college freshman who's attending his dream school but never set foot on campus. Missed birthdays and postponed weddings. The pandemic has forced many people to live unfamiliar, disconnected lives. (Washington Post)

These articles inspired me to look for stories that highlight faith, hope, and “getting back up.”

Sr. Louise was obsessed with daily news, updates and statistics about the pandemic. So much information became overwhelming. The story of Venerable Mother Scholastica, first Sister Disciple of the Divine Master, gave her direction.

Mother Scholastica often brought a newspaper to Chapel. Other sisters decided to see what she was doing. Was she distractedly reading it? They discovered her placing it on the altar. This act of trust and prayer was her way of surrendering what could be overwhelming to the One who would address it. Sr. Louise began laying her smartphone on the altar when she went to prayer entrusting all the social media to God’s mercy and goodness.

Christin, an actress in Hollywood, observes that people at home during the pandemic spent hours consuming media.  With the ability to stream everything online, ten episodes of a tv show may be viewed in one day.  What messages are being absorbed in these hours, she wondered?

For Christin it is important that Christians create content for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube. She finds that the current steaming series The Chosen, depicting the life of Jesus and His disciples, is a perfect example of what is possible. “The series was created with their own financial support, not Hollywood. It came out during the time of pandemic and it exploded!”

When TV first began, Christin reminds us, families watched something together. Today, she said, we can find great content that allows for a collective experience in the family. Simply discussing the content after a show can be a form of Cinema Divina. Through her own experience, Christin knows many may discover the Catholic faith on social media platforms. She uses her skill as an actress to produce inspiring faith-filled media with a Facebook Live comedy show, Unexpected Crowns. 

Following Jesus in times of challenge and crisis is indeed our way to new life. #catholicmom

What is your faith-filled pandemic story? Discipleship means “getting up” to follow Christ. How many times have you put one foot in front of the other as you walked through this past year? The word “got up” (anastas) is the same word used to describe the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (anastasis). Following Jesus in times of challenge and crisis is indeed our way to new life. Tell your story to encourage others.

The Prayer of Sr Louise O’Rourke, pddm

Lord, I check the news every day, and every day I am shocked and saddened but also inspired and encouraged. Your Sacred Scriptures say: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done will be done, there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:19). We share the same joy and sorrows that men and women have experienced throughout the ages. But what takes place today around me and throughout your world is news. Each incident, each event is something new because it is happening now to someone today. The 'now' is part of the time you redeemed, and each 'someone' is your beloved child destined for eternal life. As I take in the news today, dear Lord, inspire me to pray for those involved in the stories, those affected by the events, and all those who announce and receive the news. Give me the gift of awareness and a sense of responsibility especially towards the most vulnerable in our society and in our world. Expand my heart Lord, and give me a share of your love, that I may embrace all that is news today. Amen. (Prayer from the Pauline Family Prayer Book).

Copyright 2021 Sr. Margaret Kerry, FSP
Images: Canva Pro; Ven. Mother Scholastica Rivata reading the newspaper (copyright Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, used with permission); Unexpected Crowns graphic (courtesy of Christin Jezak, used with permission)