The lives and livelihoods of the less-educated and lower-paid classes have been threatened by the Covid pandemic more than those who are educated and better paid. Many of the latter can stay safely at home and continue to work from home. Although such times have created opportunities for some, these are few.

Higher unemployment rates, gender disparity, income, and wealth inequality are some of the side effects of the coronavirus pandemic. While several vaccines against Covid-19 have been developed in record time, it might take decades to undo the social and economic damage caused by the virus. The crisis has exacerbated inequalities across all major fault lines in society. It has undone hard-won gains in poverty reduction across the globe.

Examples of global inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic

While wealthy nations have been able to secure enough Covid-19 shots to inoculate their populations several times over, the People’s Vaccine Alliance—an international watchdog that includes Amnesty International, Oxfam and Global Justice—estimates that poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in 10 people during 2021. Thus, rich nations will be able to save more lives and help their economies recover faster.

It is not just about Covid. No currency is more precious than time. It has been widely demonstrated that in nations with higher levels of inequality, people live less. Yet, one should not make the mistake to conflate poverty and inequality. What we know today is that the economic gaps among the populations have only increased. While higher-paid workers have been able to work from home, many frontline lower-paid employees have been furloughed or laid off. Among these is a disproportionately higher number of women. Those who managed to keep their job often exposed themselves to an increased risk of getting infected.

Oxfam’s new report, The Inequality Virus, reveals that the wealth of the world’s 10 richest men has increased by half a trillion dollars since the pandemic began. This is more than enough to pay for a vaccine for all the world’s population and prevent anyone from falling into poverty because of the virus.

A Covid-fuelled spike in global inequality

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have all raised concerns that we will see a Covid-fuelled spike in global inequality. A global survey commissioned by Oxfam echoed these fears. This survey concluded that an ‘increase’ or a ‘major increase’ in income inequality was observed in all countries because of the pandemic. It is also echoed by what is happening on the ground in rich and poor countries alike.

The richest in society have seen their savings increase during lockdown. The poorest have seen their incomes fall. Moreover, the latter often had to borrow to survive. Over the last 40 years, the richest 1% of the worldwide population has captured more of the proceeds of economic growth than the poorest half of humanity combined. This global inequality fuels poverty.

Stock markets suffered the worst shock in their history when the pandemic was announced. Billions of dollars worth of financial assets were destroyed. Central banks such as the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank injected billions of dollars to prevent a crash. The markets quickly rallied. With them, also the fortunes of the world’s richest people who hold much of their wealth in stocks and shares. As a result, billionaires recouped their Covid-19 losses in just nine months.  In contrast, it could take the world’s poorest people more than a decade to recover.

Pandemics expose the weakness in every society

Many argue that the problem is not making money, but excessive profits and extreme wealth. These are the symptoms of a broken economic system which is benefiting a minority of people at the expense of everyone else. In every country in the world, the poorest people in society have been the hardest hit by the pandemic. The worst affected are the women and people from marginalised, racial and ethnic groups. These people are more likely to work in sectors that have suffered big job losses, such as retail and tourism. These jobs are also largely in the informal sector. Therefore, they are less likely to have redundancy savings, or unemployment benefits to fall back on.

Poor people are less likely to have access to decent healthcare. They are more likely to live in crowded accommodation or work as cleaners, shop assistants and care workers. This puts them at a greater risk of contracting the virus. They are also more likely to suffer underlying health conditions with a greater risk of dying from the virus.

Pandemics expose the weaknesses in every society. Widening and persistent inequality was a feature of almost every country, even before COVID-19 broke out. We are witnessing only the beginning of the virus’s economic and social implications. Developing countries, and those in crisis, will suffer the most, along with those already vulnerable all over the world. Countries that rely on the informal economy, women, those living with disabilities, refugees, and the displaced, as well as those that suffer from stigma, will be the worst-hit.

Read more:
– My Covid-19 Experience Poem
– Let Us Be Surprised by Hope During Covid-19

The post Global Inequality During Covid-19 and Beyond appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Poem: My Covid-19 Experience

I received the result on Valentine’s day…“of all days…why today?!”
Very mild symptoms; still didn’t feel okay.
I had exams to face, I felt afraid.
I dare say, I felt betrayed.
“After I made sure to stay safe,
why was it me who’d fallen prey?”

But then I thought, “just appreciate what’s still there”.
So I sat quietly and became aware
of the many people I know, who really care.
As days passed by, everyone gave their share.

One delivered groceries;
another said rosaries;
one sent a courier with accessories!
I even had support from overseas…

I thought, “it’s true, I lost two senses – both taste and smell,
but I have friends and family, who truly wish me well”.
I could not get out to run, as I usually do,
but I appreciated my dwelling, all clean and brand new.

I was stuck inside, all alone in my flat;
this gave me time to use my pink mat.
I started to work out indoors, using bodyweight,
and from sixty-nine kilos, I turned sixty-eight!

If we focus on the good,
then we’d have understood
all that living life is all about.
It’s not about having it all
but about learning to rise after every fall;

Not about avoiding all the pain,
but about turning a loss into a gain;
not about having sunny days time and again,
but about learning to dance, even in the rain.

The virus was not good for my health
but a bleak situation showed me great wealth.

A Covid-19 Experience Poem

Read more from Sarah Borg:
– Deep Love Poem – What is Love?
– A Poem About Who Am I

The post My Covid-19 Experience Poem appeared first on Universe of Faith.

“I had been taking a lot of precautions, such as shopping online, not visiting family members who do not live in my household and not attending Sunday mass, to avoid getting infected. In fact, our only family outing was going to the countryside with our car.” says Katriona.

After being a full-time mother for a number of years, in October 2020 Katriona found a job as a supervisor, in a Primary school. Her job was to supervise the students who were watching their teacher delivering the lesson on a screen. “In late November 2020, only one month after I had started on the new job, I tested positive for COVID-19. My husband had also tested positive a few days before. My first symptoms were a tightness around my ankles, and a loss of taste and smell. It came as a surprise. There was also a sense of disappointment for having failed despite all the precautions I had taken.” she explains.

The implications of contracting Covid-19

Katriona says, “Contracting COVID-19 meant that I had to spend 14 days doing everything in the same room; sleeping, eating, washing. On some days I used to sleep a lot as I felt tired all the time. When I started recovering, I used to watch movies or TV, read books and listen to mass. Contracting the COVID-19 virus was a strain both physically and psychologically. I felt that I had failed. It was also very stressful on my body. Today, I still do not feel that I have completely healed, even though it has been three months since I recovered. When I go up one flight of stairs I feel out of breath and start feeling pressure on my chest. Before I contracted the virus, I used to walk for an hour a day. I still do not have the strength to do that today.”

Katriona explains how this experience also took its toll on her husband, her daughter and her son. “My children did not contract the virus but they missed almost a month from physically attending school. They tried their best to follow lessons online. During quarantine, they also learnt to do things on their own or with the help of my husband, like cooking and washing clothes. Most of all they were very worried about me. They used to call me and come to talk to me from behind the door. They also brought me all that I needed. However, despite the bleakness, this COVID-19 experience strengthened our bond as a family.”

Katriona added that she also had a lot of help and prayers from family members and friends. “I used to receive messages and calls everyday from people offering to help us. Some friends who were not so close became closer because of our exchanges during my illness.”

An appeal for vigilance

“My appeal is to remain attentive. After a year into this pandemic, you still find people who are not wearing their masks properly. There are still people who do not keep enough distance in a queue, or gather in small groups near certain shops. Contracting COVID-19 is no joke. We need to keep wearing our masks and washing our hands. This virus can be a matter of life and death for some people.”

Covid-19 experience

Read more:
– Let Us Be Surprised by Hope During Covid-19
– Corona Virus Poem – Feeling Proud

The post “Mother of Two Says Covid-19 Experience Was a Trauma, but Brought Family Closer” appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Words below from Google Trends:

Fun…

how to cut your hair was searched at an all-time high.

Kids made “productive” use of their time at home this year, as pranks on parents reached an all-time high.

Thankful…

Global searches for how to thank also hit an all-time high, with teachers, bus drivers, nurses, and doctors topping our lists. This year, we focused on helping others more than we focused on ourselves – how to donate was searched 2x more than how to save money.

Surprising…

Shelter-in-place routine got you a bit disoriented? You’re not the only one. what day is it hit an all-time high in April 2020.

Uplifting

The world also searched for how to help more than ever. Top trending how to help were: how to help australia fires, how to help Black Lives Matter, how to help during coronavirus, how to help beirut.

This year how to be an ally was searched more than how to be an influencer.

Inspiring…

We looked for a better future more than we wished to return to the past. how to change the world was searched twice as much as how to go back to normal.

Restless…

Trouble sleeping? You weren’t alone. insomnia was searched more in 2020 than ever before.

Beneficial…

This year, we grew our collective awareness as global searches for invisible disability doubled.  (An invisible disability refers to a condition that isn’t apparent from the outside, but affects a person physically, mentally, or neurologically like epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, HIV/AIDS, and psychiatric conditions such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.)

And … In 2020, worldwide searches for support small business doubled compared to the previous year.

Learning…

how to learn coding was the top trending thing people searched to learn. python was the top searched programming language.

Thought provoking…

World events gave us pause, and we did some soul-searching. In June 2020, how to be anti-racist was searched more than how to be a millionaire.

And in June 2020, what is systemic racism reached an all-time high, as more people questioned the institutions, government processes and economic systems that perpetuate racial injustice.

Healthy…

Comfort foods may have gotten us through March, but…how to start a vegetable garden was searched twice as much in 2020 than 2019.

Calming…

Remember to breathe. meditation was searched worldwide.

Close to home…

Search interest in sunset near me reached an all-time high in 2020. A moment to be serene amidst the routine.

Keywords 2020

Read more:

– New Year Christian Message on Newness and Hope
– Finding Time for God

The post Google Keywords 2020 That Caught My Attention appeared first on Universe of Faith.

As Pope Francis said during the 2020 Easter Vigil:

“Over these weeks, we have kept repeating, ‘All will be well’, clinging to the beauty of our humanity and allowing words of encouragement to rise up from our hearts. But as the days go by and fears grow, even the boldest hope can dissipate. Jesus’ hope is different. He plants in our hearts the conviction that God is able to make everything work unto good, because even from the grave he brings life.” (Easter vigil 2020).

Where can we see signs of “Jesus’ hope”?

1. What good can come out of Nazareth? Sowing seeds of hope

Like Nathanael, it’s relatively easy to rubbish what happens in Nazareth. We are easily tempted by a “prosperity” Gospel. We think that we find the real presence of God in moments of “success”, in the places of power and control, where there’s “good” money.

Yet, during these challenging months, Jesus is opening our eyes in the same way as he did with Nathanael. Hope resides in the Nathanaels of today who are rediscovering authentic life in the midst of our Nazareths marked by Covid-19:

• those who rediscovered the value of personal relationships;
• those who realised they have neighbours and can act like neighbours;
• those who rediscovered a sense of wonder as they gave time for home-baked bread and a better rhythm of life;
• those who rediscovered the value of initiatives taken from the grassroots. For many, and for a long time, responsibility was shifted blindly onto those in power. Now many realized that they have a say, and an essential one, to reach out to those forgotten by corrupt leaders, to push for change of unjust structures, to celebrate the Lord who “scatters the proud” and “raises the humble” (cf. Luke1, 51-52);
• those who took the option of hope (rather than armchair critics): “when people decide to live no one can stop them”! (Expression of a woman after the tragic explosion in Beirut on 4th August 2020)
• those who are like the women of the dark yet Holy Saturday. “On the Sabbath they were doing something simple yet extraordinary: preparing at home the spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They did not stop loving; in the darkness of their hearts, they lit a flame of mercy. (…) How many people, in these sad days, have done and are still doing what those women did, sowing seeds of hope! With small gestures of care, affection and prayer.” (Pope Francis, 2020 Easter Vigil homily)

How can we sow the seeds of hope in our Nazareths for a future not yet known?

2. Entertainment as the opium of the people? Let us not place a stone before hope

For some time, religion was presented as the “opium of the people”. In the name of a heavenly afterlife, people were being robbed of their present. So to protect the status quo, people were prevented from improving their lot, from welcoming the Kingdom of God in the present.

In our times, entertainment had become “the new opium” robbing people from the future. We were being tempted to get lost in the present (“Enjoy the moment!”), amusing ourselves to death. Moreover, the new possibilities of communication offered by modern technology were being dominated by propaganda and fake news. This creates a fog that stops us from seeing the human face of the other and the path to a better future.

But somehow, during the pandemic, we started to challenge certain illusions. So the stone that seemed impossible to move, started to shake.

• Very often we were dominated by the commandment to “be positive”. However, this made us blind to the grave injustices of our time and mute before those abusing of power. With Covid-19, not only did we fear “testing positive”, but we rediscovered the freedom to speak of our vulnerability, anxieties, challenges. We became more aware that authorities that were telling the hard truths (giving the real numbers of Covid cases, communicating the measures that need to be taken) gave us real security. Those manipulating information as part of their power games were unmasked.
• Young people – an easy target for those who get rich through selling alcohol, drugs, and entertainment – awoke to the fact that their future is compromised. They became aware that missing out on education and authentic friendships will impact not only their present but also their future. Suddenly, the future is rediscovered. The stone that was blocking the horizon is taken away.

“Let us not place a stone before hope.” (Pope Francis)

How do you imagine a better future? How can you contribute to make it happen?

3. “We are not in the same boat. We are in the same storm”. May we bring the song of life.

In a discussion organized by the Taizé community, young people had to give their reaction to the pandemic. Their insights are an eye-opener! One of the young people said: “We feel frustrated. Politicians and other leaders are telling us to ‘be responsible’, to ‘stay inside’, to care for the elderly and other vulnerable persons. This we understand. But a few months ago we were protesting, asking for concrete action to address climate change. If not, the impact on us – younger generations – will be disastrous. We feel frustrated because we saw no sign of solidarity back then”.

Another said: “We are not on the same boat. We are in the same storm”. The pandemic has illustrated in a clearer way than before

• the huge inequalities caused by the current economic system,
• the need for real solidarity between generations and between countries,
• that we do not stand above creation but we are part of it: we need to care for it as much as we live by what we receive from it.

The truth of our interconnectedness is clearer now than before the pandemic. Yet it feels very frustrating and dark when we find ourselves facing a system built on individualism and slavery to the god of consumption. Yet, hope lies with people who recognise all this but do not stop there. They commit themselves to influence processes through concrete gestures.

“How beautiful it is to be Christians who offer consolation, who bear the burdens of others and who offer encouragement: messengers of life in a time of death! In every Galilee, in every area of the human family to which we all belong and which is part of us – for we are all brothers and sisters – may we bring the song of life!” (Pope Francis, Easter Vigil 2020)

What are the concrete gestures that can bring greater equality, solidarity and care for creation?

Let us not be robbed of our hope!

The Covid-19 pandemic has been compared to a storm that threatens to destroy us. In addition, with so many unknowns and insecurities to face, fear and anxiety can block us. So we can either let ourselves be carried away or choose hope. Not any kind of hope but Jesus’ hope. There we recognise a hope that opens to a sure future while empowering us to act in the present. This is what Charles de Foucauld expressed in a letter to the Poor Clares (transferred from Nazareth to Malta) in the midst of the First World War:

“We are living days where our soul experiences a strong need for prayer. In the storm that is raging across Europe, we recognize the nothingness of creatures and we turn to the Creator. In the boat tossed by the waves, one turns to the divine Master, and one begs the One who with a word can give victory and long lasting calm. We stretch our arms towards heaven like Moses during the battle of his own people, and where man can do so little, we pray to Him who can do everything.”

(Letter to Mother Saint-Joseph,  Tamanrasset, 28 November 1916)

This article was originally written for the International Bulletin of the Lay Fraternity Charles de Foucauld (No. 103, 2020). It is being published online on Universe of Faith for the first time.

Read more:
– Corona Virus Poem – Doing Things Differently
– Top Pope Francis Prison Quotes

The post Let Us Be Surprised by Hope During COVID-19! appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Solidarity meals 

One of the main initiatives taken by the Church in Malta during the COVID-19 pandemic is the provision of a meal a day to those who are most in need. Persons receiving these meals include the elderly, the homeless, persons with mental health issues, and families having a family member with a disability.  These persons are facing added pressures.

Albert Debono, head of Diakonia Unit within CARITAS Malta explains that, during the peak of COVID-19 infections, up to 850  meals were distributed every day. Currently CARITAS is serving 70 meals every day.  The Archbishop’s Curia asked the parish priests to identify the households and families who were in need in their parishes.

Food hampers

Persons who were facing serious financial difficulties, but who were still capable of preparing their own food, received food hampers. This was another initiative co-ordinated by CARITAS Malta and the Malta Trust Foundation. Virtù Ferries also participated in this initiative by donating a 40ft trailer of essential food items to CARITAS Malta for distribution to those in need.

Donations

Fr Andrea Zaffarese, the Archbishop’s Delegate for Work and Life in Parishes confirms that a number of parish priests also donated money from parish funds to help people in need. These donations were given to those who lost their job during the pandemic. Persons working on a reduced wage also benefited from these donations.

Retreat houses as alternative accommodation

Another initiative taken by the Church and several religious orders was to provide care to frontliners and their families. Retreat houses and similar facilities were converted into safe and comfortable accommodation for workers who could not live in their homes because of work.

Phone calls to parishioners

Fr Andrea also reports how almost half of the parish priests in Malta made regular phone calls to their parishioners.  Volunteers and vulnerable people, who were already in contact with the parish, also received moral support. For many people, these months were an opportunity to re-evaluate relationships, and to become more compassionate towards others.  Indeed, this time may have made us aware that people without family or friends, the seriously ill and the very poor, have faced similar hardships long before the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Spiritual services

On an individual level, priests still offered Confession and Holy Communion to those who asked. Other persons referred to spiritual direction services and pastoral counselling because they experienced increased pressures in relationships and families. These services were offered by priests and by the counselling services run by CARITAS. Due to the restrictions, some priests and counselors shifted to online platforms to offer pastoral accompaniment.  Moerover, the Franciscan Capuchin friars offered their services to the hospitalised patients at Mater Dei hospital.

Online Holy Mass and Rosary

Holy mass and the Rosary were and are still being streamed online from the Archbishop’s Curia. They are transmitted on a daily basis, on the national TV station TVM2. Head of Media for the Archbishop’s Curia, Kevin Papagiorcopulo stated that hundreds follow this mass online, while thousands follow it on TV.

Domestic liturgy

The restrictions regarding the presence of the general public in the churches led to new opportunities of prayer and the celebration of liturgy within the homes. These included online lectio divina, the liturgy of the hours, and resources for families to pray with their children. On a diocesan level, the website Bekids.mt offered resources for Sunday readings, videos about lives of the saints, a Prayer Corner, and the quizzes: ‘Know Your Faith’. In addition to these,  a number of parishes took other initiatives to provide the necessary preparations for the conferment of the sacraments of Confirmation and the First Holy Communion.

Moreover, many Catholics decided to contribute and reach out to others on their own initiative. These people are also acting as ‘Church’ even if they are not officially acting on behalf of the Church says Fr Andrea.

What can be improved 

Much is being done.  Yet there is always room for improvement.  Fr Andrea explains that, unfortunately, services given by the Church are still not accessible enough to the people. Some people do not know about some of these services. This is especially true with persons who are not connected to any social platform of the Church.

Many parishes made a good effort to keep contact online for catechism classes and youth meetings. Yet, some parishes did not manage to offer such an alternative to children and adolescents; not even to those who were preparing to receive the sacraments of Confirmation and the First Holy Communion. Some parishes found it difficult to adapt when the old pattern was not working.

The restrictions imposed on funerals was another issue to reconsider. Many relatives of the deceased were hurt and disappointed because they could not have a proper funeral for their loved ones. In retrospect, there was no need to close the Churches completely had the necessary precautions been taken. So, according to Fr Andrea, this was an unnecessary pain in an already difficult circumstance.

Which is the way forward?

Fr Andrea Zaffarese reckons that this pandemic can be an opportunity for the Church to stop and reflect. Some organisational activities and structures need to be rethought. For example, the number of masses celebrated in the Archidiocese is unsustainable he says. Fr Andrea also questions the sustainability of structures within the Church which are run by volunteers. Most of these structures were set up when many women did not work outside the home. Moreover, the pensionable age was 60 rather than 65 years of age. Therefore more volunteers were available to help. These changes in society had an effect on the voluntary work and on the operations within the Church.

In the recent past, everyone within the locality knew each other. So there was no need for community building. However, nowadays within the parish, there are people coming from different villages and countries. People need to connect to create a sense of community and belonging within the Church. Thus, the Church needs to discover new ways of doing so says Fr Andrea.

If we have to stay indoors next winter

If we have to stay indoors again next winter the situation will be better. Most parishes have improved their ways of communicating with their parishioners.  However, Fr Andrea explains that teamwork among different parish priests and co-ordination between the parishes and the central organisations of the Church can improve further. He explains that, at the beginning of next year, parish priests will be trained on the use of online resources. These should help the delivery of online catechism classes and communication within their community.

The Church tries to do whatever she can to help people in the circumstances of this pandemic. However, she cannot do everything. Sometimes we need to refer people to specialists in particular fields. The Richmond Foundation is such a service for people facing mental health issues. There are also other organisations that offer professional services. Fr Andrea concluded that the important thing for the Church, as it carries out its mission, is that whoever needs help finds a caring presence and genuine guidance.

Read more:
– “I’ve Hit Rock Bottom” – Getting the Basics Right to Get out of Rock Bottom
– Corona Virus Poem – Feeling Proud

The post Evaluation of the Church’s response to COVID-19 pandemic in Malta appeared first on Universe of Faith.

The post Corona Virus Poem – Feeling Proud appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Dealing with death as a child

Peter was only five years old when he lost his grandfather. A few years later, he was sleeping at his grandparent’s house when suddenly, he woke up, in the middle of the night, with a sense of unease. “I have strong memories as a seven-year-old child in my grandparents’ house. In that moment, I came to a sudden realisation of death; death of all the people I love and my own death too. I couldn’t stop crying. It was an existential moment which I was not prepared for.”

In the light of his own experiences, and through his work with young people, Peter believes that talking to children about death can be beneficial: “By talking about death, we can address the taboo. Death is a reality, after all. An interesting study focusing on pediatric cancer showed that children were completely aware that they were going to die. However, they didn’t talk about it because they didn’t want to upset their parents and the doctors. Children are extremely intelligent, so lying or trying to protect them is presumptuous on one level and counter-productive on the other. We owe it to children to develop more sensitive ways of bringing them into this inevitable, and potentially quite a beautiful element of the human experience – death.”

Dealing with death as something which is part of life

Peter shares his experience of the death of another grandparent – his grandmother – who died only a few years ago. “When my grandmother passed away I was the only person in the room with her.  I was holding her hand when she died.  It was a very profound and transformative experience for me; something that turned into a joyous experience which in some ways revisited my earlier childhood memory and transformed it. There is a quality of beauty rooted in love, in acknowledging the transience of human life and how valuable every moment of life is; how life is a gift from the universe to the universe, and we are all participating in this giftedness of Life.”

The experience of accompaniment during his grandma’s death transformed Peter’s views on death. “I don’t think I did anything when my grandma died, to make that transition from the head to the heart. It just happened. It was a profound experience. I’m sure that my formation facilitated the experience. As a person with spiritual life, I think it was an expression of the Divine which took me into its mystery. I’m grateful I was open to it.”

“Death is not a permanent ending”

Peter continues: “When somebody’s life ends, it is not dissolving into nothingness. There is something very powerful about what the person has shared and received during life, which lives on. That is what I received from the experience of my grandmother’s death; that endings are strange things and that there isn’t this finality that some people feel about death; that death is a permanent ending. The same goes for beginnings. Where do we begin? At conception? But we are also linked with the story of our parents, our grandparents, all the way to the first spark of Life in our universe. So, if it is so complicated to think about when did I begin? I think we should have the humility to say that it is also very complicated to say when do we end?”

Accepting Death

As a society, we are usually bombarded with messages that exalts youth and beauty and shy away from death. Yet due to COVID-19 death became something that we hear of every day. Peter describes how one theory in the area of death studies focuses on the fear of death. “We live in a culture which glorifies youth and life. Many theorists in the cutting edge trans-human and post-human movements are very much into the idea that we should live forever. The idea that death is an enemy to be conquered. However, we have never been so bombarded with images of death as much as we are today.  In my work with young people, I perceive that they are more exposed to death and violence, through news or fiction than ever before.”

“We need to balance the very natural fascination with death with what it means to die and with the experience of the death of others; with this fear of the unknown and this cult of youth and life. I don’t know whether we are running away from death or whether we are negotiating a new relationship with it. It is a very exciting place but also a very complicated space to be in, both for young people and for the rest of us.”

The Last Things

Peter believes that the Church has somewhat set aside the discourse about the last things (death, judgement, hell, heaven). He thinks that the Catholic Church can find new ways to talk about life and death, by building on what was done in the past. “I am drawn to the historical relationship of the Church with the concept of the last things through the memento mori, the remembrance of death. I think that the memento mori also works in a more secular space. As a Church, we need to appreciate that people are seeking new ways of experiencing spirituality. It would be very strong of the Roman Catholic Church to be open to engaging with non-Catholic and non-Christian people as well. It is not only about talking to the faithful It is also about talking to those who are challenging the faith of their family, of their past, and to the people of no faith who can benefit from these important spiritual lessons.”

“The memento mori, the remembrance of death – the fact that we are mortal beings and that one day we will die – puts a powerful focus on life. It helps us realise how important it is to live every moment, in the here and now, to the full. It helps us to be open to living the mystery of being alive because life is transient. Life is not a permanent experience. This is one thing that the Church could do. It could remind us gently and lovingly that what we have is the here and now, that God is already present in our life. By bringing us into an awareness of the present moment, the Church can do a lot to deal with the anxiety of death. This is so because that anxiety of death comes from projecting ourselves into an unknown future or by dwelling upon a painful past. So, I think the remembrance of death (memento mori) is a beautiful gift from the ancient teachings of the Church.”

Dealing With Death In A Positive Way

Peter suggests three ways that can help us deal with death in a positive way. “Firstly, the key to dealing with death in a positive way is to bring ourselves into the present moment instead of running away. This we can do by getting rid of the many distractions and deflections that stop us from living authentically. Secondly, there is prayer. Centering prayer can help us return to the ‘breath’: The ‘breath of life’ which God imparted to Adam, in that beautiful metaphor, at the beginning of Genesis. In Hebrew, ‘ruah’  is cognate with the Maltese word ’ir-ruħ’ and ’ir-riħ’. Thirdly there is therapy. One might benefit from professional help in dealing with death or difficult grief. The important thing to remember is that the more we become present in this moment, the more we become alive and less afraid of death. By being alive there is no anxious fear of death, because we are too busy experiencing life. The worry and anxiety fade away in the face of what it means to simply exist.”

Dealing With The Fear Of Death

Sometimes, when people are dying they are afraid. Peter sees this as a natural fear: “I think it is perfectly natural to be afraid in this situation. This is a process, in which the person has to adjust to a new kind of reality. Therapeutically, we would explore the moments of worry or anxiety. Then we look at what is left unfinished, or simply accept that life has beauty in its incompleteness. However, it all comes down to being in the here and now. This even if we have no control, rather than fantasising about the future. It is about renouncing control. Rather, the illusion of control, because in reality, how much control do we have over so many things in our lives?”

“Dealing with death is a difficult topic for a lot of people. Some of the earliest human rituals enacted by our prehistoric ancestors, of religious or spiritual significance, were burials and memorialisations of the dead. This shows that there has always been this fascination with death and the afterlife. You can also see this fascination in children. Children will wonder how someone who used to talk and interact with them has suddenly disappeared from their life.  This has a jarring effect because, on some level, we immediately think that this is also going to happen to us and to those whom we love. In the face of the dead, we also see ourselves.  That can be very terrifying for people who aren’t capable of living in the moment. Also, for those who cannot accept the inevitability of their own demise. It is most helpful when we become aware that life is a gift. When this happens, we develop a sense of gratitude for this great gift of being alive. Not holding onto dear life and not trying to control it, but simply and gently allowing ourselves to enjoy life for what it is.”

Read more:
– The Death Of My Younger Brother
– The Art Of Dying Well

The post “The More We Live Life, the Less We Fear Death” – Dealing With Death appeared first on Universe of Faith.

This Easter 2020 is being celebrated in our own homes amidst the physical and mental difficulties of COVID-19; collective trauma, grief, loss of loved ones, tensions over job losses and vigilance for safety amongst others. Despite all this, as Christians we carry the hope of Easter.

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.

…

As we are surprised in the hidden Lord

Rising

In a new solidarity between neighbours;

In a nation that overcomes the law of the survival of the fittest

with the restraint of the young to protect the elderly and the vulnerable;

In the spreading of a good humour that overcomes hate speech

with a caring smile that raises the spirit;

through the banishing of the arrogant “anything goes” mentality

with the transparent, compassionate and professional leadership of women;

in the exposure of the evil consequences of the “grab what you can while you can”

through the gratitude for the men and women who are giving their life for us;

in the rediscovery that men and women do not live by “the virtual alone”,

but we need the real, physical gestures of love

the authentic fruit of the earth grown locally,

the faces of friends, teachers, colleagues,

the closeness of silent hand,

the marks of concrete love in the pierced hands of the risen Lord.

“Let us allow hope to be rekindled.” (Pope Francis)

The Lord is Risen.

Not virtually!

For real!

Read more:
– Top Pope Francis’ Easter Quotes
– Top Pope Francis Holy Spirit Quotes
– Choose Life: Horizons Beyond The Tomb Walls

The post Easter Message 2020 Amidst COVID-19 appeared first on Universe of Faith.

This video describes a kind of journey within your own home for Maundy Thursday 2020.  This tradition is a sort of pilgrimage to various churches correspond to each of the seven places, or “stations,” that were made by Jesus between the Last Supper in the Upper Room to His crucifixion on the cross.  It is inspired by the practice of various Christians in Malta (and other countries) who visit 7 different churches or holy places the day before Good Friday. This journey through the habitual streets enables participants to perceive the sacredness of all life. May this journey through the different rooms of your home help us to uncover the hidden treasures we carry.

We find it difficult to just “stay at home”. Journeys and homes are so intimately linked to our being human. Both. We are not made to be stagnant. Our ancestors had to move around to get their food. Then they started farming and built houses. We cherish both: we love travelling and long to “feel at home”. In the major religions we find the theme of pilgrimages and temples. “Every devout Muslim hopes to make the haj to Mecca, Jews go the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, and Hindus go to Varanasi to bathe in the Ganges”. People journey to sacred places and return to their homes with renewed insights and assurance that their day-to-day life has a destination, purpose, value. Our life is holy.

“Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed.”
― Mary Oliver

“ To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”
― Mary Oliver

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
― Mary Oliver

1. At the entrance – the door

The place of welcoming, where we wait for those we love, where others wait for us. At the entrance, at the door, we open ourselves for surprises. Someone who could knock without being expected.

Once Jesus was in a house. So many people felt welcomed and joined in. A group carrying a crippled friend could not find their way through that door. The only way was through the ceiling! He was addressed with kind words. What it must have meant for him to go out of that door recognised, loved, healed.

We pray that the quality of our welcoming in this house restores the spirit of all of us and those who come here.

“Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields…Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.”
― Mary Oliver

2. In the kitchen

Where we prepare food. In the kitchen, we take up the bread, vegetables, ingredients prepared by others; we appreciate the hard work of the farmer, the harvester, the baker … we complete each other, we never  work alone. And when we have some time on our hands we also make our own bread.

While in the kitchen, Jesus ponders how a very small amount of leaven makes the dough rise in such a surprising way. It resonates with his outlook on life. His trust that small gestures pregnant with love, justice and truth make all the difference. That true power lies not in empty shows but in the hidden actions in families, hospitals, supermarkets …

As we cook, talk, do the homework, may we grow in trust and be nourished by what is true, beautiful, good.

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
― Mary Oliver

3. In the bathroom

The place where we become aware of our body in a special way … our fragility, vulnerability, greatness. Through the slow process of evolution as human beings, we came to stand on our feet, allowing our face to shine, communicate, and transmit love. That is the face you see in the mirror, that you prepare to meet the face of the other: faces calling for respect and love.

Before Jesus gave up his life for the world, he bowed down to wash the feet of his disciples. One who washes the feet of another will never harm that person. Loved in such a way, the friends of Jesus could become leaders of service not of manipulation, control, dominance.

We pray that in this bathroom we remember how we were loved and washed with dignity when we were born. May we dedicate each day to be of service for at least one person and show special care where we encouter someone in pain.

“Love yourself. Then forget it.
Then, love the world.”
― Mary Oliver

4. In the bedroom

The place of intimacy with ourselves, intimacy with our loved ones;

where we experience loneliness even in the presence of loved ones;

where we stay with our personal thoughts and dreams, projects and hopes, hurts and disappointments;

where we experience a delicate kiss, the reassuring hand, comfort of a familiar voice,

mother, father, spouse, brother, sister, guardian, friend.

The only scene where we find Jesus sleeping is during a fierce storm. He is sleeping in the part of the boat that sinks first. Woken up by his friends, he calmed the storm while asking “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?

We pray that during the storms of life, the darkness of the night, we remember that “you will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again ‘Do not be afraid’”. In loneliness we trust in your love. Wake us each day with renewed strength and joy of life. Revive our silent hope.

“Tell me,
what is it you plan to do
with your one
wild and precious life?”
― Mary Oliver

5. In the living room

The place of everyone. The place where we eat, chat, relax in different ways.

The place of truth.

Sometimes it’s loud: bubbling with life, sounds of games, chats, tik tok fun.

Sometimes it’s silent: there’s pain, hurt, fear, anxiety, helplessness.

When one of his friends had already planned to betray him (Judas), Jesus organises a meal, breaks the bread and shares it, loves them generously. He surprises the betrayal with faithful love.

In our living room, let us be grateful for the grace of the present time. At the end of our journey, we could be surprised to discover that our life was woven by shared moments. We pray for healing of hurts, freedom from violence, joy in our sense of belonging.

“You can have the other words – chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity.

I’ll take grace.

I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’ll take it. ”
― Mary Oliver

6. In the garage/study

The place where we study and work; where we look at the world with a creative mind-set; where we risk making mistakes and contribute for our own good, that of our family and society at large.

During his time in his father’s workshop (carpenter) Jesus learnt how to appreciate the heart of each kind of work and profession. As a good storyteller, he opens our eyes to perceive

the sense of trust in the farmer who treasures the seed in the ground,

the courage to risk in the business person who sells everything when he found a unique pearl;

the wisdom of the teacher who passes on the best insights (both past and the present).

May this place restore confidence and joy in what we do. Each one has a special , unique gift to share with the world.  What is it?

“When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it is over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.

I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.”
― Mary Oliver

 “The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”
― Mary Oliver

7. In the garden, balcony, at the window

The place of wonder, where we recognise we are part of creation; where we make space for plants, birds, cats and dogs, where we recognize that they are making space for us. The place where we are continually surprised by the fact that space grows when it is shared, how the whole becomes ours when we do not try to possess everything.

Contemplating creation leads Jesus to be amazed at the beauty of lilies, the promise hidden in the smallness of a mustard seed, the freedom in the wind and all those who are open to the Spirit of life rather than the rigidity of prejudice.

When we stand in the balcony, in the garden, at the window, may we breathe and embrace, feel life that has been given generously. May we be reconciled with nature, commit ourselves to care for our common home, rejoice in the newness of each day.

“Listen–are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”
― Mary Oliver

“I tell you this
to break your heart,
by which I mean only
that it break open and never close again
to the rest of the world.”
― Mary Oliver

This video was worked in collaboration with San Andrea School Chapliancy Team, Malta.

Read more:
– Corona Virus Poem: Doing Things Differently
– Top Pope Francis Easter Quotes

The post Maundy Thursday 2020 – Visiting 7 Holy Places in Your own Home appeared first on Universe of Faith.