"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light."
Ephesians 5:13
Who knew that when I wrote my post in February, taking off gel nail polish would be the least of my worries! I know that many articles and blog posts have been written about this crazy time we are living in right now, but I wanted to share with you something that came to me this morning.
Steven and I were all set up to watch Mass at 11:30 am, finally figuring out how to connect the live stream to our tv! We downloaded the reading on our phones and began to participate in Mass as if we were present. However, we soon realized that our readings were not matching up with the online Mass. During the gospel, we saw that the Mass date on the top of the screen read March 22, 2020 and at that point, we turned off the live stream and decided to try Mass later in the day!
It was during the mixed up Mass that a few powerful messages came through to me...
During Mass, I thought about a blog post from the Ten Percent Happier* weekly newsletter I read earlier in the day. The blog post, "I Feel Afraid All the Time" by Yael Shy explained her experience with panic attacks and how she attended a seven-day silent retreat in hopes of bringing calm into her life. After three days on the retreat, she met with her meditation teacher and had the following exchange, "I feel afraid all the time," I heard myself say. That's it. That's all I seemed to want to say after days in silence. The teacher paused for a minute and then said, "You know, the interesting thing about fear is that it doesn't like the light. The more you bring a flashlight to your deepest fears, the more they won't be able to survive."
Message Number One: Shine a light on your fears!
Next, the beautiful entrance song from our mixed up Mass stuck with me all day...
Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid, for I am with you.
Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Message Number Two: Do not be afraid I am with You!
And then from the readings...
Ephesians 5:13
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
John 8:12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
John 9:5
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Message Number Three: I AM THE LIGHT
Shine a bright and powerful light on what you fear...
health
quarantine and loss of connection
finances
job security
a loved one's safety and health
anxiety
death
He sees our deepest fears. Call on Him. Let His light cast out the darkness and anxiety in your heart.
Peace be with each one of you.
*Dan Harris was a former Good Morning America and Nightline host who experienced a panic attack on national television. He wrote a New York Times Bestselling book, Ten Percent Happier, about how he became "happier" through meditation. He went on to create the Ten Percent Happier Meditation App which I absolutely LOVE! Ten Percent Happier also offers free resources: Ten Percent Happier Live, Coronavirus Sanity and the Podcast