Making sense of the Covid-19 pandemic in God's plan

In the Old Testament, Job was a righteous man whose life became increasingly difficult after God allowed one calamity after another to afflict him. His friends asked him if he had done anything to offend God that could be the cause of his punishment. This reflected the thought of that time: that God will spare the good from suffering and punish the wicked. Job has always denied having done anything wrong.

The constant questioning of his friends tired Job to the point that he was tempted to ask himself why God would do such a thing to him. God appeared from a storm and said to him: "Who is this who obscures the advice with words of ignorance? Prepare your loins now, like a man; I will question you and you will tell me the answers! “So God asked Job where he was when God laid the foundations of the earth and when he determined its size. God asked Job if he could command the sun to rise in the morning or make time obey him. Chapter after chapter, God's questions show how small work is in the context of creation. It is as if God were saying, "Who are you to question my wisdom, you who are a small part of creation, and I the creator of it who guides you from all eternity to all eternity?"

And so we learn from the Book of Job that God is the Lord of history; that everything is under his care in such a way that even when it allows suffering, it is done only because it will produce a greater good. The practical example of this is the passion of Christ. God allowed his only son to suffer pain, suffering and a humiliating and atrocious death because salvation can derive from it. We can apply this principle to our current situation: God allows a pandemic because something good will come out of it.

What can this be good for, we can ask. We absolutely cannot fully know the mind of God, but he gave us the intellect to discern them. Here are some suggestions:

We have no control
We lived our lives with the false impression of being in control. Our extraordinary technology in science, industry and medicine allows us to extend beyond the capabilities of human nature - and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's fantastic! It becomes wrong when we rely on these things alone and forget God.

Addiction to money is another thing. While we need money to sell and buy things we need to survive, it becomes wrong when we depend on it to the point of making it a god.

As we wait for a cure and eliminate this pandemic, we realize that we are not in control. Could it be that God is reminding us to restore our trust in him and not only on technology and material things? If so, we should reflect on where we place God in our lives. When Adam hid from God in the garden of Eden, God asked, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3: 9) It was not so much to know Adam's geographic location, but where his heart was in relation to God. Perhaps God is asking us the same question now. What will be our answer? How do we fix it if it needs to be repaired?

We understand the authority of a bishop
For many Catholics, the role of the bishop is not entirely known. For the most part, it is the minister who "slaps" a confirmation and (someone asks for the sacrament of confirmation) to "wake up" his spiritual courage.

When the masses were canceled, especially when the dispensation from Sunday obligation was given (that we do not need to go to Sunday mass and it will not be a sin), we saw the authority conferred on the bishop. It is an authority that was given by Christ to his apostles, like the first bishops, and passed down through the generations from bishop to bishop through an uninterrupted succession. Many of us have also understood that we belong to a diocese or archdiocese "managed" by the bishop. We must remember St. Ignatius of Antioch who said: "Obey your bishop!"

Could it be God who is reminding us that his Church has a structure and that its power and authority are conferred on the bishops who "manage" their diocese? If so, we learn more about the Church that Christ left us. We understand its function and role in society through its social teachings and its role in perpetuating the presence of Christ through the sacraments.

We can allow the planet to heal
Reports are coming that the earth is healing. There is less air and water pollution in some areas. Some animals are returning to their natural habitats. As a species, we tried to do it, but we weren't able to do it because we were so busy with our personal programs. Could it be that this is God's way of healing the planet? In this case, we appreciate the good that this situation has brought and we work for the planet to heal even after returning to normal.

We can appreciate more our comfort and our freedoms
Since many of us are in blocked areas or in quarantine, we cannot move freely. We feel the sense of isolation from society and from the banal freedoms that we have taken for granted, such as going shopping, eating in a restaurant or attending a birthday party. Could it be that God is allowing us to experience what it is like without our comforts and our little freedoms? If so, maybe we will appreciate these little luxuries just a little more when things return to normal. After trying what it is like to be a "prisoner", we, who owe resources and connections, may want to "free" workers who find themselves in a terrible working environment or oppressive companies.

We can get to know our family
Since workplaces and schools are temporarily closing, parents and their children are invited to stay home. Suddenly we find ourselves facing each other twenty-four hours a day for the next few weeks. Could it be that God is asking us to get to know our family? If so, we should take this opportunity to interact with them. Take a moment to speak - really talk - to one of your family members every day. It will be embarrassing at first, but it has to start somewhere. It would be sad if everyone's neck was tilted down on their phones, gadgets and games as if other people at home didn't exist.

We take this opportunity to acquire virtue
For those who are in quarantine or in blocked communities, we are asked to practice social distancing by staying at home and, if we have to buy food and medicine, we are at least one meter away from the next person. In some places, the stock of our favorite food is out of stock and we have to settle for a substitute. Some places have blocked all forms of mass transportation and people have to find ways to find work even if it means walking.

These things make life a little more difficult, but could it be that God is offering us the opportunity to acquire virtue? If so, maybe we can curb our complaints and practice patience. We can be doubly kind and generous to others even if we are upset and have limited resources. We can be the joy that others look at when they are discouraged by the situation. We can offer the difficulties we are experiencing as an indulgence that can be given to the souls of purgatory. The suffering we are suffering can never be good, but we can make it mean something.

We fast
In some places that have scarce resources, families are rationing their food so that it lasts longer. By instinct when we are a little hungry, we immediately satisfy hunger. Could it be that God reminds us that it is God and not our stomachs? If so, we see it metaphorically - that we are in control of our passions, and not vice versa. We can empathize with the poor who don't eat regularly because we have experienced their hunger - we hope to provide a spark of inspiration to help them.

We develop hunger for the flesh of Christ
Many churches have canceled masses to assist the fight against viral contamination. For many Catholics around the world, fifty years and less, this is probably the first time they have encountered this type of experience. Those who go to daily mass or Sunday regularly feel the loss, as if something is missing. How many of us wish to stain our lips with the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion?

Consequently, there is this hunger that prevails over a large number of active Catholics who cannot receive the Blessed Sacrament. Could it be that we took the presence of our Lord for granted - taking only Holy Communion mechanically - and God is reminding us how important the Eucharist is? In this case, we reflect on how the Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life so much that all the sacraments are ordained