The Presence of God in time of pandemic.

Where there is no love, put love - and you will find love. - John of the Cross

I began the day full of thanksgiving... and joy filled my heart.  It was a joy to pray over the readings and psalms of the day's Mass.  To experience that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  God seem to want to his presence to be recognized in every circumstance, every situation.  The further it seems we are from him, the closer he is.  I'll share here what I wrote on FB a few minutes ago:

If you can, try to thank God - for everything. I can't begin to tell what peace and joy is infused into the soul of one who does that. Even when you can't get to Mass or communion - nothing can separate us from His love. In these times, I don't know why, but I feel very close to Betsie Ten Boom. Here's an anecdote by her sister Corrie, from their experience in the camps.

"Shortly after they arrived at Ravensbruck, Betsie insisted that she and Corrie do as the Scriptures said and thank God for everything about the barracks they found themselves in. Corrie wondered what there was to be thankful for. Betsie started listing things:
Being assigned to the same barracks. Corrie agreed. 

The Bible Corrie was holding in her hands. Corrie agreed. (By the grace of God – a miracle, one might say — they had been able to smuggle a Bible into both concentration camps. By the time they arrived at Ravensbruck, they had read through the entire New Testament twice and were working on their third time through.) 

The extreme overcrowding which allowed for more women to have an opportunity to share in the daily devotionals that she and Corrie always tried to have. Corrie agreed, but reluctantly. 

For the fleas. Uh, no. Corrie wasn’t going to do that. 

“Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” 

“Give thanks in all circumstances,” [Betsie] quoted. “It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances’. Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.” 

And so we stood between piers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong. 

Time went on, and Betsie and Corrie began holding nightly “worship services” in the back of the barracks. According to Corrie: 

They were services like no others, these times in Barracks 28. A single meeting might include a recital of the Magnificat in Latin by a group of Roman Catholics, a whispered hymn by some Lutherans, and a sotto-voce chant by Eastern Orthodox women. With each moment, the crowd around us would swell, packing the nearby platforms, hanging over the edges, until the high structures groaned and swayed. 

At last either Betsie or I would open the Bible. Because only the Hollanders could understand the Dutch text, we would translate aloud in German. And then we would hear the life-giving words passed back along the aisles in French, Polish, Russian, Czech, back into Dutch. They were little previews of heaven, these evenings beneath the lightbulb. 

Despite making no attempt to hide what they were doing, no one tried to stop the services. In fact, there was almost no supervision in the barrack at all. Hmmm.
One day, Corrie came back from work to find Betsie looking very happy. (They were assigned to different workgroups.) Corrie asked her why. 

“You know we’ve never understood why we had so much freedom in the big room,” [Betsie] said. “Well – I’ve found out.” 

That afternoon there’d been confusion in her knitting group about sock sizes and they’d asked the supervisor to come and settle it. 

“But she wouldn’t.” [Betsie said.] “She wouldn’t step through the door and neither would the guards. And you know why?” 

Why? 

“Because of the fleas!” Betsie could not keep the triumph from her voice. “That’s what she said, ‘That place is crawling with fleas!'” 

Corrie continued: 

My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place. I remembered Betsie’s bowed head, remembered her thanks to God for creatures I could see no use for." - Source

There two other 'sister saints' I admire - S. Therese and her sister Celine - two more lights who illumine the way - loving God in every circumstance.