I don't think anyone can deny that there's been a heightened sense of anxiety and stress since this virus broke out upon the world (including all the events that have accompanied it in its wake).
On the one hand, there's an arrogant response one can have to the presence of this virus that leads one to feel invincible and "test God."
On the other hand, there's a fear-driven response which can lead one to completely alter their way of life, lead to paranoia thus stress, anxiety and/or oppression/depression, and worry.
In the middle, as a Christian, you can practice trustful surrender. Trustful surrender places us in a position of humility and awe before God's mysterious designs while also leaving us with a childlike confidence, trust and fearlessness because we know that nothing - nothing - happens to us without the loving consent and wise designs of our Heavenly Father, for the purposes of His glory and our sanctification.
What was the book I turned to when seeking wisdom as to how we, as Christians, ought to respond in times of public calamity - pestilence, war, plague and the like? The classic that probably most Catholics have - Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence.
And what do you know, there's a section on exactly this thing called "In Times of Public Calamity"!
Let us consider:
We ought to conform to God's will in all public calamities such as war, famine and pestilence, and reverence and adore His judgments with deep humility in the firm belief that, however severe they may seem, the God of infinite goodness would not send such disasters unless some great good were to result from them. Consider how many souls may be saved through tribulation which would otherwise be lost, how many persons through affliction are converted to God and die with sincere repentance for their sins. What may appear a scourge and punishment is often a sign of great grace and mercy.
As far as we are personally concerned, let us meditate well on this truth of our faith that the very hairs of our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30), and not one of them will fall except by the will of God. In other words we cannot suffer the least harm unless He wills and orders it. Relying on this truth we can easily understand that we have nothing more or less to fear in times of public calamity than at any other time. God can just as easily protect us in the midst of general ruin and despair as He can deliver us from evil while all around is peace and content. The only thing we need to be concerned about is to gain His favor, and this is the inevitable effect of conforming our will to His. Let us therefore hasten to accept from His hand all that He sends us, and as a result of our trustful surrender He will either cause us to gain the greatest advantages from our misfortunes or else spare us them altogether. [Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence: The Secret of Peace and Happiness, Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure & St. Claude de la Colombiere, my emphasis added]
This particularly sticks out: That in reality we have nothing more or less to fear in times of public calamity than at any other time. (And boy don't we live in times of unrest and growing tension in this world?) The Lord can just as easily protect us in these times as He can deliver us from evil while things around us seem to be at peace. God is all-power. God is wise. God is most loving.
Let us ask:
Do I really believe that God is in control?
Do I really believe that if anything happens to me or to those I love, that it is actually part of God's loving and providential design for my (and/or their) sanctity and to draw out a greater good?
Have I drastically altered the way I live or think about my daily life and interact with others - the aspects I can personally control - since this virus began? What has changed? (Again, only consider the parts that you influence and can control. For instance, you obviously are not in control of being told to work at home). Write down the specific things you have changed. Examine them before the Lord and ask Him to scrutinize them for you. Let Him shine light on any fear you hold, that you may not be aware of. Let Him heal you of that and set you free. Maybe, too, nothing will really change and you're right on the path God wants you. The point is, let us bring everything we do humbly before God and ask Him to reveal our hearts and motives to us.
Along with this, remember that true interior freedom and peace will only come if we are in right relationship with the Lord - in a state of grace, repenting of our sins, and spending time with Him daily through Mass, Scripture and prayer. Through this intimate knowledge of our loving Father, we will gain a secure confidence which convicts us that nothing happens to us without first passing before His loving gaze for the purpose of our eternal good and His glory.
Again, one shouldn't "test God" and act like one can't get gravely sick or one can't die. But we should humbly realize that if we do not, it's simply because God did not ordain us to receive this illness from His loving hand at this time. In the mean time, we are to hold reverence for what He's allowed with this virus and societal unrest while not being swept away by irrationality, paranoia or anxiety.
An irrational and fear-driven response does not sound like what Fr. Jean Baptise and Saint Claude de la Colombiere are counseling us as Christians:
In other words we cannot suffer the least harm unless He wills and orders it. Relying on this truth we can easily understand that we have nothing more or less to fear in times of public calamity than at any other time.
It's amazing how we're challenged to live fearlessly not only in the midst of spreading viruses but even in war, famine, pestilence and the like.
We are in God's hands, no matter what disasters are upon us now, and no matter what graver things could await us in the future. No matter what, we should be at peace. Of course, we all feel those periods of anxiety and nervousness and that is natural. But what is supernatural is to turn this all over to prayer - to remain a person of prayer - in those moments, so that Christ may restore us interiorly to the peace He's promised to give.
Let us reflect on these truths and churn them over in our hearts in prayer.
"Jesus, I surrender myself to You. Take care of everything..."
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