By Presbyter Jean Mawal*
In the second verse of our national anthem, the words ‘with courage let us all combine, to Advance Australia Fair’, ring true.
History has taught us that a crisis can only be overcome together.
The irony is that fear, panic, uncertainty and anxiety has been introduced in our society because of this microscopic virus.
Yet with the faith, courage, kind-naturedness and fraternal love of many, it has shown us great hope in our potential.
Our Orthodox Christianity teaches us that this paradoxical existence is not an end in itself. Rather, we see this pandemic ultimately as a situation full of opportunities for humanity:
• An opportunity to come together as a nation. To serve together for the safety and care of others and safekeeping of our community.
• An opportunity to spend more hours at home.
• An opportunity to spend more time with our spouse when our ‘normality’ alienates us one from the other.
• An opportunity to sit down with our children, something we thought impossible before due to obligations.
• An opportunity to devote enough time to ourselves, perhaps we have neglected our own personal needs.
• An opportunity for more prayer and communication with our God, when we forgot about Him in our busy lives.
• An opportunity to practice patience and endure temptation.
The Church prays daily for those who lead, for those who serve at the frontline.
We pray for those who are afflicted, alienated, suffering, and those deeply scarred as a result.
We pray with faith, hope and love assured that through this struggle, we will have an opportunity to reconsider many things in our lives.
Knowing that through faith we can renew our human existence; and ‘with courage let us all combine, to Advance Australia Fair.’
Together we pray:
Lord Jesus Christ our God, the chief physician of our souls and bodies, Who became man for us to cure the great wound of humanity; Who did not reject the ten lepers who suffered from an incurable disease, but purified them by Your salvific grace; Who, being God-man, passed Your days on this earth serving and healing all who were sick and those who are ill; Who served and restored to health the paralytics, the blind, those who had committed grave sins, the demonized as well as those who suffered both in the flesh and in the mind, now amiably accept our supplication and by Your power expel this deadly virus, which has brought fear and even death to those who are sick and wrongfully suffering. Protect the youth, keep watch over those who have become ill, and heal the elderly who have been infected by this accursed virus. Also, purge us all from unrest of the heart, and instead of this, grant us health, comfort, and progress, through the intercessions of our Holy Lady the Theotokos and all of Your saints. Amen.
* Presbyter Jean Mawal is from St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, Dandenong.
