Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”

E. B. White, probably in his prime in the 30’s and 40’s of the previous century, is still worth discovering for his style. He writes:  “I arise in the morning, torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor (enjoy) the world. That makes it hard to plan the day.” Even at this late date, this quotation may still have some relevance.

Facing the sameness of stay-at-home restrictions we understandably dream of liberation from this when we can savor life as we knew it in normal times. Going out to dinner, to a play or a ballgame, or simply for a drink or coffee with a good friend. Ah-h-h.

Or we may be thinking of how to improve the world. During the stay-at-home and lockdown days some, especially writers and TV journalists speculated about what should follow. Life and thinking undoubtedly will have been impacted profoundly by this huge and painful interruption.

What will normality look like? Most seem to think that “better” is part of the answer. Like E.B. White, improving the world seems what most imagine; the normal should be more equitable than what we remember as normal. One well-known columnist imagines that the slow, often painfully slow life of stay-at-home will have made us question the frenzied pace we remember as normal. Consequently, perhaps we will look for a less frenzied approach to life.

As seems appropriate, we should mine the words of one of the most respected spokespersons for the Christian tradition, Francis, the Bishop of Rome. There one finds hope that the compassion we have felt for our unemployed brothers and sisters, for the homeless and disabled, that this neighborliness will soften the hard edges of the world's economics. While also never forgetting the place of prayer and the inner life, Francis still can't get the poor and the weak out of his thoughts. For example: to the leaders of the world's largest economies he has said: "I ask you to ensure that humanity is served by wealth not ruled by it.”

Elsewhere, fleshing out that ideal he says: “To live charitably means not looking out for our own interests, but carrying the burdens of the weakest and poorest among us.” The good  life, life concerned about the most vulnerable, gives the common good priority in human society along with the dignity of every individual human being.

And, Francis spells this out in terms of social justice, e.g., a living wage for unskilled workers, welcoming immigrants and refugees, overcoming racism, care for the earth, diminishing wealth inequality, peaceful conflict resolution, providing education and health care for all, etc.

Let this tentative musing about the future end with encouraging words from the head of a metropolitan Catholic Charities: “I have read your Reflections faithfully during the pandemic. I hope and pray that soon your Reflections will be of gratitude for being on the other side of this, with a new world better than the former.” 

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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