Prayers....

In this time of fear, uncertainty and anxiety, I pray to the Lord to ease my nerves. Lord, do not let this fear consume me. I have to calm down. My children all dispersed in different places communicate with me through messenger. They told me, from the social media account of Father Sormani; whom they follow, that the phrase  “Do not fear” appears in the Bible 365 times. In short, the Lord is telling me to trust him everyday. How can I not trust him. For insignificant as I am, I can verily and utterly attest that He has performed plentiful of miracles on me and my family in the course of my life. Increase my faith O God. Yes! I will pray and continue to trust you Lord.

Every night I pray for mercy, for me and my family and the whole world. The next morning, ironically, I get more bad news from my city, from my country specially in Metro Manila, even from USA and all over the world. But I will continue with my prayers until the Lord shall hear us all. As a people, we need to be more persistent in asking God’s mercy for we have greatly offended him. I know he is a merciful God. He can easily do great miracles but he wants us maybe, each person to cooperate with him in our own small way. The best thing we can do right now is to listen and cooperate with our leaders by staying home. Staying home, I try my best to take care of myself, my husband and the people in my household. My househelps, they are my companions now. They are relying on us and watching over us too. We need each other so much now. Sometimes, I still continue to pray anxiously, other times I muse and think a little. Perhaps instead of desperation, I should look into the little miracles that happen everyday. For my Lord may at times show some little encouragement to us daily. Last night, I was elated to learn that Prince Charles was released from his quarantine and Angela Merkel was tested negative twice from covid. Thank you my Lord for protecting the leaders. I pray He continues to protect our Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. Our country needs a strong and caring leader, specially in this time of crisis. Our medical health care system is not world class. How can we survive if you do not take care of us, O Lord.

May God protect our Pope. Pope Francis is currently heavily burdened by this disaster in Italy and all over the world. I try to follow him in prayers. I stayed up late at night on the Feast of the Annunciation at one o’clock in the morning to participate in his benediction. We need somebody to shepherd us. Lord, please lighten the burden of his yoke. Help him O God. Your miracles happen everyday. I will be on the look out for your great mercy. You will not abandon us your flock. As you once saved your apostles amid the turbulent waves of the sea, you will save us too. We hope and we trust in you.

Fear

Fear is engulfing us and all human kind because of this covid-19-virus. My husband is 80 years old and I am 68. We live in Cotabato, where the city is now in lock-down because of confirmed cases of people who went to Malaysia for religious meeting. Because of our age, my husband and I are one of the higher risks of this pandemic. My son Roy is currently in the Seattle area, Washington State, the epidemic center of USA. He is a severe asthmatic, he is also one of the high risks. My daughter-in-law Suiling has some kind of white blood cell ailment, she is at high risk too. My daughter Martha is right now in Manila which is the epicenter of the disease here in the Philippines. My family is dispersed in different places living by ourselves. Almost all the major cities are under lock-down. We have closed our store since yesterday because employees can not come to work and besides there is no business at hand either. Everybody is staying home. Everybody is afraid. The persons who are not frightened are the scariest contacts of all, because they are most careless in terms of social distancing.
My husband and I have been praying to God to stop this contagion. Last night we prayed the rosary with Pope Francis in Italy and our families here in the Philippines and all over the world, to ask God to stop the spread of this virus. I requested my house-helps to pray with us too. But I realized that they don’t know how to pray in English, so I printed out the English prayers for them to recite.They were shy to respond at first but they did so eventually. I am thankful to God for my helpers.

May the Lord God have mercy on us, protect us from the covid 19 virus, keep us safe and protect us from all harm and danger. Where-ever we are, whatever we do, where-ever we go; O Lord, keep this family whole and safe in your love.. Have mercy on us, O Lord, and have mercy on all humankind.