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.