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.

Many of us, I'm sure, have seen the news stories in the last couple of days and weeks

talking about a potential for an increase in what they call deaths of despair brought on by this

COVID-19 pandemic.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who works in a parish and has been

spending time reaching out, especially to the seniors over the last couple of months. And I think

they've made it through the list twice now in their parish, a large parish. And the first time

they reached out to all the seniors, I think people felt pretty decent,

certainly a little bit lonely, but not too bad.

And that was at the beginning of this pandemic.

And then they just did it again about a week or so ago.

And she told me that it was just a marked difference from the first time around,

much greater sense of isolation, loneliness,

some depression, and worse. And so I find the gospel today particularly timely, not just for

those seniors that my friend and all those who were assisting her were calling,

but for countless people in the middle of these days that we're living in.

Jesus today in the gospel makes a promise.

...