Hey, everybody. This is Father John Ricardo with Acts 29. And in the middle of all the craziness

and the uncertainty that's going on right now, it seems from our perspective as a team that it's

worth using these days to reflect in a more deliberate way on the scriptures every day, which

for many of us now is the only spiritual food that we're receiving. And so we're going to do a special podcast series simply entitled,

Be Not Afraid God's Word in Uncertain Times.

And we'll try to post something every day, usually reflecting on the scriptures,

so that we can listen in on what God is trying to say to us in these days.

I heard a story the other day of a woman at the outset of the coronavirus who reached across the street to a neighbor who apparently was known in

the neighborhood to be a bit of a curmudgeon, I believe we used to say. It's somewhat of a difficult

personality. But she called her and she just just said, she knew she lived alone.

She says, hey, I'm running to the grocery store.

I want to know, is there anything at all that you might need?

Anything from, you know, either the grocery store, the pharmacy, or the drugstore.

And then after that, she says, you know, I know there's one of the homes in the neighborhood

who has invited a priest over to celebrate Mass so that the people can attend the Eucharist.

And she says, is there any chance that you might want to come?

She didn't even know she was Catholic, I don't think.

And the older woman on the other end of the line says,

you know, I think that's the kindest thing that's ever been said to me in my life.

Thank you for that.

That story came to mind this morning as I was praying on this great feast of the

annunciation of our Lord Jesus.

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