Where is God in the Midst of the Pandemic? This question was posed to participants in the workshop held on October 15th. The workshop, hosted by A Faith That Does Justice and led by Sister Barbara Gutierrez, SNDdN was conducted in Spanish. Sister Barbara is a native of Mexico and has previously led workshops for A Faith That Does Justice.
After opening with a Prayer for the Time of the Coronavirus from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Sister Barbara asked workshop participants how they have felt since the onset of the pandemic. Their very candid answers expressed feelings of isolation and lack of hope. However, the answers also included feelings of reconnection with God, a strengthening of faith, and the opportunity for growth in one’s faith. Participants were quick to recognize that difficult situations, including our current situation, produce more creativity in the ways we communicate with family and friends, how we work, and how we stay connected or reconnect to our communities. Additionally, during harder times, it becomes a bit easier to be grateful to God for the many small actions of His love that we see each day.
Sister Barbara encouraged us to put our energy into things that we can change in our lives, especially during the pandemic, and to ask God for help with the things we may not be able to change. She also suggested a way to observe and record “Moments of God.” Each time we see something beautiful, write it down or make a note about it and store the notes together. When we feel alone or frustrated with our current situation, pick one of those notes to read as a reminder that God is with us even during the most difficult of times.