A Prayer for The Coronavirus Pandemic
Here is a prayer that was shared by a friend on Facebook, originally posted by "George L Livanos." We have been praying this prayer daily, perhaps you would like to also.Let us offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ our God, You traveled through towns and villages "curing every disease and illness." At Your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience Your healing love.
Heal those, O Lord, who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.
Heal us from our fears, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another.
Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.
Lord Jesus Christ, healer of all and physician of our souls and bodies, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.
Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with You in Your eternal peace.
Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know Your peace. Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers, and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know Your protection and peace.
Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know Your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth. Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Lord Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.
For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, and to You do we offer glory, thanksgiving, and worship, together with Your Eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
March 15th, 2020
We stayed home from liturgy this morning and watched the streaming services from the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration on YouTube. During quiet time, we did some cleaning. On the news, there are pictures of people partying for St. Patrick's Day. I guess not everyone is taking this seriously yet.
I haven't heard from my parents about whether their trip home will be delayed.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Delaware
3/15/20 - 7
March 16th, 2020
We told Jay about the surgery yesterday afternoon. He is nervous about sitting in the big optometrist's chair and getting eye drops. I told him he didn't have to sit in the chair this time, and that I would hold him for the eye drops. He was very reassured by that. He seems excited to regain vision in his right eye. I would be too, and I am excited for him.
We video chatted with my parents last night, past midnight for them. They were supposed to fly to Istanbul early this morning. I think they would have told me if they hadn't made it. Israel is completely shutting down, all the restaurants were closed, and my parents' hotel closed after they checked out.
Husband found out this afternoon that his office is going to be shut down, so after the dinner dishes were done, he took the little orange Honda Fit over to campus to get his big monitor, standing desk, and other little things. When he got back, he moved the desk into the smaller of the two closets in the master bedroom. It does have a window, however.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Delaware
3/16/20 - 8
Present Day: March 27th, 2020
Today was a difficult day. We got most of our work done, but not all of it. Several people around the world were going to pray an Akathist (standing prayer) to the Theotokos and St. Haralambos at the same time, and it would be 3PM EST. So I got the kids together and we watched a Molieben to the Theotokos and St. Panteleimon on YouTube and prayed along. It didn't go well, the kids kept trying to play with Legos and pick fights.
When we were done, I sent them to the playroom and went upstairs to cry in bed for fifteen minutes. Jim is working in the bedroom closet and heard me, so he came out and asked what was wrong.
"I'm failing, overwhelmed, and burnt out." I replied, still crying. I wanted to be left alone and have my cry, but Jim encouraged me to go practice violin. I haven't practiced since February because life has been so intense. So I played for two hours, and that was lovely and restorative.
A lady I follow on Instagram talked in her stories about how this is an opportunity to take up our cross. It's gone now, I wish I could rewatch it, because it was so helpful to me. She said that we should never take the sacraments, liturgy, church services, and being with people for granted ever again. I think she has a good point. That if our hearts are open, there are some lessons here. This isn't to say that we won't suffer during this pandemic, I think we will, and the Bible tells us that to follow Christ means to expect suffering. But God will redeem it all. The 1918 Influenza Pandemic ended World War 1. I wonder what the ripple effects of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic will be.
COVID -19 Cases in Delaware, 3/27/20
165 cases
15 hospitalized
9 recovered
2 deaths
I hope your homeschool day went more smoothly than mine did, and that no tears were shed.
What a Lent this is turning out to be. Even though I buy the five pound bags, I am starting to run out of beans. There are no more dried beans in the grocery stores, and few cans of beans. God is teaching me to be thankful for beans.
Your good friend,
Elizabeth in Delaware
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