Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
In 2004, a controversy arose in the Indiana community I covered as a newspaper reporter when its fire chief ordered painted on a fire truck this excerpt of the Psalm 23: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This was approximately three years after 9/11 when fear and uncertainty still gripped our nation.
Today, in the midst of a pandemic and quarantine, we find ourselves also in fear. People are dying. Our churches and schools are closed. We’re afraid we might catch the disease that many in the world have. We worry for our loved ones, friends, neighbors, the elderly, and health care workers.
Like the psalmist, we only have one true recourse for any fear or doubt: the Lord. Though we can’t physically attend Mass, we watch online. We pray in our homes with our families and unite our prayers to those of Pope Francis and the universal Church. We know Jesus is with us. We trust and find comfort in him.
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41C-62
Psalm 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
John 8:1-11
EDITOR’S NOTE: During the COVID-19 outbreak, Catholic Digest is offering daily Gospel reflections from our sister publication, Living With Christ. Additional resources from our parent company, Bayard, Inc., are available here:
Free online Catholic resources to use at home during COVID-19 outbreak