Our Bodies, Hearts, and Healing During this Time of the Coronavirus by Sr. Gloria Haider

Our Bodies, Hearts, and Healing During this Time of the Coronavirus

 Sister Gloria Haider, OSF, May 16, 2020

HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION

For Christians this is the Easter Season.  I’ve been reflecting on how after the Resurrection of Jesus, his glorified body still had the marks of his wounds on his hands, feet, and side.  After Jesus died, he appeared to the twelve apostles once when Thomas was not present and once when he was present.  Thomas had not believed that the other apostles had seen Jesus.  But, when Thomas saw Jesus, and Jesus said “put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side,” Thomas believed (John 20:27). So, Jesus’ glorified, divine body continued to have the wound markings.  There must be a reason for this.  I think that it was to help us understand that our wounds and heartbreaks can be healed and transformed.

HEARTBREAKS

During this time of coronavirus, I’ve been thinking of the various heartbreaks that people have experienced.  Reflecting on this has helped me realize how important it is to actually see and touch each other.  People are very much missing these sense-based times. I know a woman whose mother was in the hospital, and she couldn’t visit her.  She has a broken heart.  My sister, although she lives close enough to see her two grandchildren, has only seen them about three times in two months.  The children’s parents don’t want her to pick up the youngest child who is just over a year.  Another heartbreak because, of course, the baby wants her grandmother to pick her up.  People have been heartbroken, or at least disappointed, because they have had to cancel anniversary and wedding parties.  And, we’ve all read stories or heard on television how people have died alone without relatives or friends near them to say goodbye.  This seems to be the ultimate heartbreak for both the dying person and the relatives.

HEALING A BROKEN HEART

How do we heal all of these broken hearts? Pema Chödrön, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher says, “The only time we ever know what’s really going on is when the rug’s been pulled out and we can’t find anywhere to land. We use these situations either to wake ourselves up or to put ourselves to sleep. Right now-in the very instant of groundlessness-is the seed of taking care of those who need our care and of discovering our goodness.”

Chödrön, in her book "When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times," frames when things fall apart as both our reality and a path toward healing. “We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart,” she writes. “Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” (my added italics)

LESSONS LEARNED

For myself, I know I must take the time to grieve and maybe even to cry tears of sadness and disappointment.  I need to believe that something good will come out of all this heartbreak.  I desire to be open to relief and joy as well as grief and misery.  I want to become more adaptable to different ways of doing things if they are for the common good.  I need to find new ways for myself to do ministry.  About a year and a half ago, I decided to move to south Texas to work with immigrants at the Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen.  I also wanted to teach English as a Second Language.  At my previous ministry, I had been doing much computer work.  When I came to Texas and began working with the immigrants at the respite center and teaching the students through the Rio Grande Valley Literacy Center, I was very happy that I had much more direct contact with people.  Now during this time of coronavirus I teach English online and the respite center has been closed to volunteers.  I’m missing seeing and touching people.  I know I need to be patient and discern what the Holy Spirit is telling me right now.  This is difficult because I miss the people and the work.  But, I do have hope that there will be some good changes in my work.  And, I know that some day we will be able to once again see more people, hug them and be close to them.  I must attend to the wounds and heartbreaks as they are now, and then move on as changes happen.  I hope we can all take time for joy, misery, relief, and grief to happen within us and within others.

#Coronavirus

#Faith

#Healing

#Mental Health