During these difficult days of the Coronavirus and its sad consequences, we will all do well to remember that the Lord Jesus will not leave his people in a state of isolation from one another indefinitely. He will not leave or forsake us, and has promised to help us in time of need. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. He will not leave us comfortless; of this we may be sure, for he cannot lie to us.

Politicians and pundits may want to talk about a “new normal” that includes routine social distancing and awareness of the dangers of personal contact, and some people may even opine that this is somehow a good thing; but we Christians know otherwise, and we long for the day when this crisis is over.

For we know that we are creatures of God, who himself entered our race in his holy incarnation. The Word became flesh; he did not despise the womb of the Virgin; and in our flesh he ransomed us from death and the grave by the shedding of his sacred blood. Not only so, but this same Jesus, in this same flesh, rose from the dead on the third day, and showed himself alive to his disciples. And he said to them, “Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.” This same Jesus is he that took little children up in his arms and blessed them; he touched the eyes of the blind to make them see; he put his fingers into the ears of the deaf to make them hear. The Good Shepherd blesses his sheep by his warm embrace. And he feeds them his own Body and Blood in the Blessed Sacrament.

And since we are creatures of the Word made flesh, therefore we not only need continually to be thus receiving him, but to be with one another as well, for this is our innate need: for gathering, and togetherness, and touch, and embrace.

Love bears all things, and love never ends, says the Apostle. Thus while we may have to endure a period of trouble during which we find ourselves in greater or lesser degrees of isolation from each other (pity especially the poor elderly in nursing homes!), we also know that this crisis, this dreadful state of affairs, will pass; that it must pass. And we also know, because love never ends, that one day, hopefully one day soon, we will find ourselves free again just as we once were, free to be truly together again: free to mingle with one another, free to embrace our loved ones, free to find ourselves happily among excited crowds, free to visit the sick or the lonely, free to offer a hand to the weak, or personal service to someone who may need help with groceries, or the front steps, or the opening of a door, free even to walk with friends, to shake hands with people we meet, to play, to dance, to love. That day we await with fervent hope, confidence, and prayer. For Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!