This is a time for many that is very frightening. Perhaps you are scared for your grandparents or those in your life who have medical co-morbidities. Maybe you are scared to go out and live life because you do not want to bring the virus home. Or maybe you are on the other end of the spectrum and just want to be able to go out to eat and to the movies. No matter what we all want our lives back to normal. It is hard to believe that living our lives in quarantine this past week has started to become our new normal as we do not know when you will be able to go back to school or even to go to Mass on Sunday. In times like these it is easy to lose faith and to feel as though God has abandoned us as we no longer have access to the Eucharist. It is easy to give up hope. I know at times I have felt this way. However, God is calling us to trust in Him and to hope against hope. We are called to have hope as Abraham did in God when he was told he would have a son when he was wife was no longer in child-bearing age. We are called to trust like Mary when an angel appeared to her saying that she a virgin would give birth to the Son of God. (I mean really think about that ... doesn't that sound a little crazy?) Even more so we are called to have hope and trust as Mary did when she watched her only son who was Jesus die on a cross. She did not know for sure he would rise on Sunday. She had to have hope against hope. Let us continue to hope against hope during this pandemic. Never stop praying. Pray for family and friends safety, pray for those that are sick and pray for the end of the virus. Let us be the face of Christ where we can. Maybe we can try to help out an elderly next door neighbor. Give your friend a call who you know has a bad situation at home who no longer has a reason to leave. Try to lift those up when it feels like they can no longer hope against hope. And know that you and your families are forever in our prayers

~ The St. Anthony's Youth Ministry Team ~