Sadly so many, so much!

Humans as we are, we still experience the heaviness and grief in our hearts even as we are comforted and consoled that our loved ones who passed on are now in the tight embrace of God and his eternal love and peace.

Also, even as it is not the first time we are bidding farewell to yet another loved one, the heaviness and pain are resurrected once again. Like life being a cycle of birth and death, grief and pain, go through yet another cycle, alternating with comfort and consolation. In time, the cycle goes around again and again.

Such is transient life here on earth, we know. Yet we can never get used to this reality, that death is certain, for all. There are those who go earlier, there are those who follow later.

Attending Mass, followed by burial, releases all the pent-up pain, heaviness and grief from hearts! Then the tears follow/flow, wails even.

The finality of earthly separation has come, close and personal. Goodbye is real, final, for now, here on earth.

Thank God for Christ’s Resurrection, for the reality of life after death, for the certainty of reunions, for all eternity, with God and all our loved ones! That makes goodbye here on earth, temporary, bearable, until our final/eternal reunion up above, in heaven!

Sadly, however, it will take time for others with so many in their families and households taken together in death by COVID!

If grieving for one is already so difficult to bear, can you imagine how unbearable it can be to lose to COVID, not just one but more or even the whole family?

As if this were not enough, not only did they lose so many in their families, there are still members struggling to conquer COVID and it variants!

Dear God, come to everyone’s aid, please!

Your timing and will are best so we will continue to raise our voices/pleas for you to completely defeat the virus and variants! Kindly heal all the sick, protect all from the virus/variants, embrace all those who have passed on back to your eternal home, and, please comfort those left behind!

The virus/variants are rapidly, too rapidly striking so many! Not only individuals but entire households, communities, and now, provinces and regions especially in Luzon are now in desperate need of your intervention and healing, please, dear God!

Hospital occupancy has reached critical levels. Our doctors, nurses, all health/non-health frontliners, more than ever, continue to be threatened across the country and throughout the world.

Come, Lord Jesus, come! And come soon, we plead!

Sadly, the vaccines are still to hurdle the political incompetence and corruption as well as inequality in many parts of our world, including our own.

While the virus rabidly plagues the whole world, sadly affecting so many, so much, the poor are getting poorer, the hungry hungrier with so much needs that should be prioritized urgently, soonest!

Dear God, please send us your genuine servant-leaders as well who will selflessly and more effectively manage the needs and simultaneous crises affecting your people and nations now.

Dear Holy Spirit, please guide these selfless leaders through sincere service that will prioritize the health and welfare of all, especially the most needy.

Please also guide everyone to choose to do his/her responsible share and strictly, consistently follow/practice health protocols!

We are all experiencing the simultaneous crises diversely, the most vulnerable hardest hit by this pandemic.

Lord, lead us all to do our share to make the burden of these crises lighter for others, for the whole world, however we can, wherever we are.

Redeem and save so many from so much crises, Lord, amen!