By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy

Panaji, April 14, 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 extended the 21-day lockdown to May 3 and gave his countrymen seven tasks to perform during the period.

The 21-day lockdown from March 25 has got on people’s nerves that many groups, including Christians, had to open counseling centers to guide those stressed.

But every “bad” situation has also its “good” side.

What the pandemic lockdown tell us is that there is hope, We see hope blossoming everywhere — hope for better human relationship; hope for better sharing; hope for better understanding; hope for resurrection of faith in God.

A few days ago, our neighbor of 93 years went for his eternal reward. He was a wealthy, erudite gentleman who had made a mark in society with his writings. His wife, daughter-in-law and granddaughters were around him in his last moment. None of his children could visit him; the coronavirus kept them where ever they were.

While the undertakers waited, I saw a woman from the neighborhood running to his house to pay the last homage. In fact, the neighbors did all what was needed.

Hope is alive

A few days ago I listened to a man on EWTN, Mario Salerno from Brooklyn, USA who waived off April-rent from his 200 tenants. Asked what made him to do so he replied: “My Catholic faith brought upon me to make this decision. I told them not to worry, not to panic. We are going through very tough times with this monster disease.”

He had observed that his many tenants were losing their jobs. “I wanted them to have some peace of mind. I wanted them to have some food on their table which many of them did not have.”

Was he not losing much? “We do not want to bring up that issue. That is irrelevant when we think of the value of a human life. I value people’s lives,” he said politely with a smile.

Hi most tenants are young who became jobless recently, the news said.

The tenants are grateful for this act of Mario. “It was really wonderful, and we really needed it. It is helping me a lot, “one young woman said.

“Mario is one of the genuine persons we have met. We appreciate greatly his kindness,” a young couple said.

His decision may hit him financially. It does not mind according to Mario, “If it helps my tenants. Human life is valuable now.”

Mario has a strong faith and he says that his faiths helps him guide the decisions he makes in life.

Hope is blooming.

And yet another man, who was cured from Coronavirus in Ireland, shared how God answered his prayers. “God will answer our prayer,” he assures us.

“I remember those nights particularly. When I asked the Lord to help me, asked him to do something supernaturally to get me through. No one was allowed to come: no pastor, no family member, no friends. I was in the isolation ward.”

“Next morning God sent a cleaner. All of a sudden, he had come in. And he was like a ray of sunshine,” he said emphatically. “God knows how to reach out to you. No one else could come in. So God sent a cleaner,” he said as tears of joy dropped from his eyes.

He continued with a smile, “He began to chat. He asked me how I was. He said he was a missionary in Nigeria for 15 years.

“He stood at the door spoke to me. He asked if he could say a prayer for me. He stood behind the glass door and prayed for me. And he was gone.”

“I was feeling better. And at night I woke up wanting to have something. I desires prone cocktail crisps and coco cola. No body could get it to me. I asked the Lord, could you get it to me Lord? The next morning the cleaner came with a bag: it had two oranges, prawn cocktail crisps and a bottle of Coco Cola, “he laughed.

“Who says God does not know our needs? He knows our every need, our every desire. The cleaner told me, ‘It is a gift from the Lord.’”

God is an incredible Savior. Never underestimate what he can do for you,” he said, now healed and back home.

Hope is growing

Two days ago, I listened to a young woman from Bergamo city, Italy. “I am not feeling afraid anymore. I am feeling numb,” she said sobbing. “I have no feelings now,” she repeated.

She lives with her family at the epicenter of pandemic affected Italy. “They say the death rate has come down here. It has. Because there are no more people to die,” she cried giving us a panoramic picture of the city that saw quick depletion of its senior citizens.

She exhorted, “Please follow the directives of the authorities. It is for your safety,” she pleaded. And added, “We stayed thinking of your safety. Not because we did not have to be with you all. Because we cared for your safety more than our desire to see you all.”

Recounting the situation of illness she went through, she said, “At one moment I was afraid about my husband. I did not know what would happen. We could not even stand on our feet to prepare food for our children. The pain would not allow us.”

From Savona, Italy, a religious sister shared, “The relatives of our sisters have died in Bergamo. But they cannot visit them.

Looking towards the future she said, “We are making masks for distribution. Our schools are closed. When we reopen, we do not know when, we will be pauper. We will have to pay our teachers and staff just the same. Our country is moving to a bad time,” she expressed her concerns.

“Everywhere there is gloom,” said a young nurse assisting an elderly woman in Rome. “We are in a critical stage. We do not know how we will move ahead. I am very much afraid. I trust that God will help us out.”

Even amidst the gloom there are people who spread light. One of them is 90-year-old woman in Italy who preferred to give the ventilator to a young person depriving herself. And she died with a smile.

I listened to another 93-old-woman who constantly thanks God for her healing. “Never give up hope, God is with us. He will care for us,” she repeated.

I saw a nurse playing with an 8-month old baby who is under treatment for coronavirus in a hospital in Mumbai. In the absence of her dear parents the nurses are cheering her to healing.

Let us join her and sing the hymn asking God, “Lead me kindly light, amidst the encircling gloom.”

Adding to this come the message from a chief minister now acclaimed world at large.

“On Good Friday we remember Jesus who suffered on our behalf. Much of his social life was spent in healing the sick. Believing in the message of Jesus “heal the sick” let us pray for the victims of Corona Virus. Looking at his life we know that Jesus held everyone close to his heart. Let us be conscious of his message at this moment when we take all precautions to stop the spread of Covid -19,” said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his message on April 8.

Easter, the Feast of Hope, has come and gone and we have become more hopeful that a new dawn awaits each of us — free from the pandemic; a new healthy dawn where we will recognize everyone we meet as our own brothers and sisters.