Dear Lord,
This time of pandemic is indeed long.
And the statistics are grim.
Days of social distancing
have turned to weeks.
And weeks of near isolation,
have become claustrophobic months.
Like the athletes running the Boston marathon
who named a part of their route ‘heartbreak hill,’
I am struggling and I observe some around me
who are also showing signs of impatience and fatigue.
Discouraged, some are saying ‘enough’ and giving up.
Help me to keep putting one foot in front of the other
and to be a source of encouragement to those around me.
In small acts of kindness, I can make you present.
Give me the inspiration and the strength
to care enough about others’ safety to do my part
and protect them from the virus
so that as many as possible can safely complete the course.
Amen.
— Columban Fr. John Burger, U.S. Regional Director
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.