By Sharon Wilson

Sometimes it feels like I am locked in my home. This COVID-19 Stay at Home order is, in reality, a slight inconvenience, but it still can give me anxiety sometimes. On Divine Mercy Sunday, we read of the disciples behind closed doors in fear when Jesus came to them. His first words were to remind them of peace, maybe to still their anxiety. While we have been behind our locked doors, I certainly have had many opportunities for bringing Jesus into my heart and home. I have taken this time at home and working from home to revisit some prayer habits.

I used to journal every morning. It was a spiritual, as well as a writing exercise. The process is called Morning Pages, and the point is to write one page of whatever comes to mind the first thing when you wake up. Just one page, and it doesn’t matter what you write. You just write. I modified this practice and incorporated Scripture or a question to get me prepared to write. I had given up this practice in the rush of my mornings recently, but now, with no commute, I have started it again. It has been fruitful to revisit this practice and bring Christ into my home.

Today, in our first reading, we read about how the High Priests and Sadducees threw the Apostles in jail.

… and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail (Acts 5:18).

I can imagine the newfound fear that the Apostles might have felt having been thrown into jail, but God busted them out!

But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out (Acts 5:19).

Perhaps this time in our lives is giving us not only the opportunity to bring God deeper into our lives and homes but also provide us new ways to evangelize. Our parishes are going online with everything from the Stations of the Cross to Adoration. Although I would never want to give up Mass in person permanently, think of the many people who may have returned to the Catholic faith by being able to tune in virtually. Even WINE: Women In the New Evangelization have moved more events into the Virtual Vineyard, including a wonderful series of Women, WINE and Wisdom events!

“Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life” (Acts 5:20).

Tell everything about this life.  Wow, what a fantastic way to describe evangelization! What are the ways we can tell “everything about this life”? Is now the time for starting your blog or podcast? Is now the time for you to pick up the phone and have virtual coffee with a friend and talk about your prayer life? Even though we may still be in quarantine, what are some ways you can share the Good News while maintaining social distancing?

Someone out there needs to hear YOUR story.

When all of this social distancing is over I am excited to witness all the ways we bust out of jail and tell the people about this life!

 

About the author:

Sharon Wilson – Wife, Mother, Writer, Catholic Speaker, and a WINE Specialist.  Sharon has a degree in education and has worked as a freelance writer, Respect Life Coordinator, a teacher, in advertising, radio, buyer and in youth advocacy – She even rode an elephant in the circus once! Sharon speaks, writes and shares about God’s healing and about the great gift of being Catholic at SharonAgnesWilson.com