For What It's Worth by Erin

The Litany of the Long Haul. As we are asked to ‘shelter in place’ and practice   ‘social distancing’, a part of me  keeps waiting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I pray, and am reminded of what Fr. Hans told us about God answering prayer: 1) Yes; 2) Not yet; or 3) I have a better way.
 
Somewhere in the middle of those answers is the Litany of the Long Haul. Even when given a response, we still have to live with the answer. That means having the spiritual muscle to see it through. That’s what the Catholic faith is, continuing on with practicing what we say we believe, no matter where we find ourselves. 
 
Let’s use the text of the Doxology, or Glory Be, to illustrate. When God’s answer is a clear and resounding ’yes’ it’s “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!”, and thank God for those moments! They do happen and we rejoice when that is the case.

However, the prayer always ends this way: “as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen.” This prayer is actually a promise of God’s ’stabilitas’ (stability) and our call to that in our own lives as well. God never changes, and His faithful presence for us has been since the beginning of time. We are called to the same stability which is the heart that comes back to the heart of God over and over again.

Let’s use this time to figure out what that looks like in our lives and the lives of our families. Fr. Dave, Fr. Hans, and Deacon Brett have provided us with a prayer roadmap to help us. We have a place to start:

Litany of the Long Haul — Our response: “Thank you God!”
 
Now you help me write this. Do this alone, or with your families or loved ones. Fill in all the things that God’s grace has placed in your lives during this difficult time. Do this daily. Add to it when you are alone so you can share it later with those who are sheltered in place with you. Always add a prayer for those who are suffering through this alone. Remember that God prays this with you, and be grateful for the gift that this crazy and difficult time is giving us. Pray also for the gift of stability so we can successfully survive the long haul.
 

May God’s grace bring us all safely to the other side of this. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
 

Be safe and well! +