By Fr. Justin Fulton
You all remember the “flea-kicker”?
This was Matt Davison’s reception of Scott Frost’s pass in the 1997 Nebraska football season against Missouri. Sure, you remember it: Frost took some time, threw a bullet into the end zone, the ball ricocheted, and as it fell Shevin Wiggins put a shin on it, popped it back into the air and a Tecumseh boy named Matt Davison dove right before the ball hit the ground, caught it, and scored a TD for Nebraska. The Huskers went on to beat Mizzou in overtime, remained undefeated, and later won a national championship.
Perhaps it wasn’t drawn up perfectly. But in the end, joy was released into the Husker world. Joy came into the world in the most surprising and unexpected of ways.
Christ’s love and joy are being unleashed into the world in response to COVID-19. Perhaps it is not drawn up in the most perfect of ways, or the way we would have imagined, but I see love—Christ’s love—being unleashed into the world in response to a deadly virus.
One can see the incredible concern for human life. People are calling others to check in on them and say hello. People are donating money for relief efforts. More acts of mercy and charity are being performed. Families are talking to one another again. Families and friends are joining together to “attend” Mass on the Internet. People who have fallen away and who do not believe in God are being exposed to the Gospel by many online Masses and outreach. Christ’s love is taking disease and death and flipping it—like His Cross and Resurrection does.
Even though we did not expect it this way, Jesus is reaching His people in an unexpected way.
People are suffering. People are dying. But Christ came to touch death and redeem it into Eternal Life. Christ is working through your thoughts, prayers, and actions. Christ came to take disease and death and turn it into Love and Eternal Life. That is happening with COVID-19 right now, if we all come to Jesus and let Him do it.
And Christ is working through the efforts of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska.
With pre-packaged groceries for the poor, grocery delivery to the elderly, monetary assistance for those who have lost employment, tele-health counseling for those with anxiety, and other efforts, CSS is working hard to protect, defend, and sustain human life. Christ is working through our efforts. Perhaps we did not envision this pandemic crisis, but Christ’s hope and joy is being spread to people and His love is being unleashed through efforts like these.
Please follow us on Facebook @csshopeinthegoodlife or our website at cssisus.org to learn more about our ongoing response to COVID-19 and how you can join us in helping those most affected throughout southern Nebraska.
Let us unleash Christ’s love into the world together.
Thank you for your prayers, support, and faith in Jesus Christ. God bless and keep you all!
