Every time I check my email, it seems that something else has been canceled. Who knows how long we will even be able to gather for Mass? One of the benefits of a crisis like this is that it does cause us to really think about what is important. For a lot of people these past few days, the answer was clear: toilet paper.
While toilet paper may be important, hopefully there are some other things that come to mind. All the stuff that we normally do that keeps us so busy, like sports and entertainment… it’s all gone. We are free to do other things now. But before you try to fill the void right away, I encourage you to get comfortable with the space. Don’t just fill the gap. Decide what would be something really good and worthwhile to add. Maybe just wrestle with the boredom.
None of us began Lent with the idea of giving up the things we’ve all now had to give up because of Coronavirus. Yet here we are. We didn’t chose a lot of this, but let’s not waste it. Now is the time to make changes, develop new habits. Like the woman in today’s gospel, maybe you’ve been going to the same well over and over hoping to find fulfillment only to be left unsatisfied. Now is a chance for a new start. What’s the most important thing you need right now? Hint… it’s more than toilet paper.