Last Friday night Pope Francis spoke to the world concerning our present crisis. I will share with you over the next few days some of the highlights of his message.

“'Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?' Lord, you are calling to us, calling us to faith. Which is not so much believing that you exist, but coming to you and trusting in you. This Lent your call reverberates urgently: 'Be converted!', 'Return to me with all your heart' (Joel 2:12). You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others."

How appropriate these words are, so much to the point. Either we trust in God or we do not. It is not a time to bargain, but to surrender our will so as to more fully embrace his will. We are not in charge. God is the Lord of the universe. We belong to him whether we live or die. Recognizing this and acting on it is the path to the Lord.